Gage Park family seen on surveillance video hours before deaths

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) - New evidence in the murders of the six members of the Martinez family suggests they were killed as some of them were returning home with tamales for dinner.

At Manolo's Tamales restaurant, the owner told FOX 32 News that police have recovered video that shows one and possibly four members of the Martinez family coming in on Tuesday, February 2nd to buy food and drinks.

“The people come in, like four people, one lady, one guy and two kids, one younger than the other,” said Manuel Chavarin, owner of Manolo’s Tamales.

Chavarin says police took copies of the video from his security system, which showed the family coming in around 8:00 pm.

Allison Castrejon was working at the time and remembers the man, who a source says matches the description of Noe Martinez Sr.

“He was wearing a Bears hat, he was in regular work clothes I want to say and he bought tamales and champurrado,” Castrajon said.

When Castrejon was shown pictures of the family, she recognized Rosaura Martinez and her youngest grandson, Alexis, as being there.

Police were led to the restaurant after discovering the receipts in the home where the family was murdered.

“Since he did have two receipts, we want to say he separated the orders so one of them was probably for his house and one was for work,” Castrajon said.

Noe Martinez Jr. was supposed to bring tamales to work on Thursday, February 4th. When he didn’t show up for an office party, coworkers called police and had them do a well-being check. That’s when the bodies were discovered.

On the night the family bought the tamales, a neighbor recalled hearing a possible gunshot and woman screaming between eight and nine o'clock, which suggests the murders may have happened shortly after the family got home with the tamales.

On Saturday, relatives will hold a private wake at the House of Branch Funeral Home.

“Certainly they're grief stricken, but at the same time they would like answers, no one seems to know anything,” said funeral director Troy Franklin.

A public view and mass will be held Sunday at St. Gall Parish Church on the city’s Southwest Side.