Martinez’s untimely death arrived just two days prior to his one-year anniversary as an officer.
The service was held at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Gardens, where Martinez’s colleagues and superiors, some of who choked back tears, warmly recalled the 30-year-old’s shining smile, enthusiasm for the job, and sheer independence and bravery.
Capt. Jeff Sgobba, commander of the Santa Barbara area CHP office, said Martinez’s addition to the unit was “like winning the lottery jackpot.”
“He wore his uniform with great pride,” said Sgobba, a mustached CHP veteran who opened the service with a black guitar slung over his shoulder, singing “Amazing Grace.” “We as a squadron and as a community ache from his loss.”
Martinez’s funeral procession left from Earl Warren Showgrounds at 11 a.m. Accompanied by a swarm of Highway Patrol vehicles with lights flashing, the procession headed south on Highway 101, existing at Carrillo Street, and ending at the courthouse. Streets were blocked until well after 2 p.m., and on Anapamu Street, an American flag hung from the ladders of two fire trucks.
An officer who conducted the funeral service said when Martinez’s wife, Patricia, was asked where she wanted the service, she immediately pinned the Sunken Gardens.
“This is where she and Jarrod exchanged wedding vows just over four years ago …” the officer said. “It also is a fitting place to say goodbye.”
Jarrod John Martinez was born on June 9, 1979, in Springfield, Mass. At the age of 4, his family moved to Santa Barbara. At San Marcos High School, he studied automotive technology, a passion that landed him a job at Cutter Motors.
As a mechanic there, Sgobba said Martinez earned the highest certification level available. According to a program from the funeral, he became interested in joining the CHP after hearing of a relative’s experiences as an officer.
On April 28, 2008, Martinez joined the CHP, and according to Sgobba, took a huge pay cut.
Upon graduating from the academy, he was assigned to the Santa Barbara office, a sort of homecoming for the man, who chose to settle with his wife and 4-year-old daughter in Buellton.
Just days prior to his death on Oct. 29, Martinez saw his first high-profile case conclude when a judge sentenced a man to 21 years in prison for causing a fatal crash last March on Highway 101 that killed a 41-year-old Goleta woman.
On the day of his death, Martinez was called to traffic court. After appearing briefly in court, Chief Adam Cuevas, commander of the CHP’s Coastal Division, said Martinez visited his mother, who lives near the Santa Barbara courthouse.
“Little did they realize that was the last time they’d see each other,” Cuevas said.
Before returning home to Buellton, Sgobba, at a news conference last week, said Martinez dropped by the station to complete an application to become a motorcycle officer.
Then, he drove his red 1998 Honda motorcycle home. At 12:15 p.m. authorities said a 2009 Porsche driven by a 68-year-old Buellton man exited Highway 154 onto Foxen Canyon Road, and merged sharply onto Steele Street in Los Olivos, veering into the oncoming traffic lane, where Martinez was riding.
Sgobba said Martinez hit the brakes so hard he flew from the bike. When Martinez landed, he was struck by the Porsche, which dragged him for approximately 45 feet. Martinez was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sgobba said Martinez was the kind of man who earned the nickname “Golden Boy” from his mother. He paid for a trip to Disneyland for some relatives. His mother was so proud of him that Sgobba said she once followed a CHP officer on the freeway. When the officer pulled over, a woman drove up to the side of the vehicle and asked if he knew Jarrod Martinez: “He’s my son,” she said.
As the hour-long service neared an end, the crowd stood as a lone trumpeter played taps. Just as the song concluded, three vintage planes buzzed the courthouse. One veered off sharply to the east.
Officer James Studebaker, who attended the CHP academy with Martinez and was his partner on graveyard shifts, said there was no need to stretch the truth about his late partner.
“He was the epitome of someone who lives their life to the fullest,” he said, calling his friend “loyal, honest, brave and kind.”
“The impact he had on this community and the many lives he touched is immeasurable.”