Yirmar Martinez was wounded during a predawn package delivery but managed to leave the property and reach help, according to her account.
CEDAR HILL, Texas — An Amazon Flex driver who was shot twice while delivering a package before dawn in Cedar Hill managed to drive away from the property and reach help, an escape that preceded the arrest of a 33-year-old man two days later.
Yirmar Martinez was making an early morning delivery Oct. 12 at a property off North Cedar Hill Road when the routine stop turned into gunfire. Martinez told local reporters that the property was dark and that she was having trouble locating the front door. Police later arrested Samuel Laird, 33, who faces an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge.
Martinez said she switched on her vehicle’s high beams so she could better see the property and moved toward an access road. She then saw a man carrying a gun. Martinez said she tried to make clear that she was there for a delivery by showing her Amazon vest and holding up the package.
Martinez said the man responded in English, but she could not understand what he said. Gunfire followed as she tried to leave, according to her account. One bullet grazed the top of her head and another struck her lower back. Martinez said the shooting continued as she drove away.
In an interview with Univision, Martinez said she was on a video call with her husband, Leonel Campos, who was also working as a delivery driver that morning. Campos told the station that he urged his wife to keep driving as she escaped. Martinez eventually reached an area where help could be summoned, and Cedar Hill police said officers found her in a nearby parking lot.
Police described Martinez’s injuries as not life-threatening. Her ability to leave the property became a central part of the early account of the shooting while investigators worked to determine who fired at her and why. Cedar Hill police initially confirmed that an arrest had been made without immediately releasing the suspect’s identity or announcing a charge.
Later reporting identified the arrested man as Laird and disclosed details from an arrest affidavit. Investigators reported finding a rifle inside the home, shell casings in the driveway that were compatible with the weapon and pieces from Martinez’s vehicle in the yard area. Those details are part of the investigators’ account and will be subject to the criminal court process.
The affidavit also says Laird and his parents gave investigators statements about his condition before the shooting. His parents said they believed he was experiencing a mental health episode and had planned to take him to a hospital. Laird told investigators that he had been hearing voices saying people were there to kill him, according to the affidavit. Authorities have not said those statements establish a motive.
Assistant Cedar Hill Police Chief Colin Chenault told FOX 4 that investigators did not believe Martinez was shot in a self-defense situation. Police believed there had been an attempt to harm her, he said. No final finding of guilt has been made, and Laird’s charge remains an allegation.
Martinez was working through Amazon Flex, which relies on independent delivery partners who generally use their own vehicles. Amazon said the company had been in contact with her to make sure she knew what support was available and said it would cooperate with the police investigation.
As of Oct. 20, Laird remained in the Dallas County Jail on a $100,000 bond, according to the latest available reporting. Martinez was recovering from her injuries, while the criminal case continued without a publicly announced final resolution.
Author note: Last updated October 21, 2026.