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John “Johnny” Martins
BY BRIAN HEWS
54-year-old Artesia resident and former Mayor John Martins has died in a motorcycle accident in Upper Ojai.
Martins was pronounced dead after the crash that was reported just after 8:20 a.m. in the 9000 block of Highway 150, near Old Walnut Road.
Ventura Fire Department got the call and found Martins with severe injuries. A Ventura County air unit was requested but later canceled.
Martins was taken to Ventura County Medical Center by ambulance and pronounced dead just before 9:40 a.m.
Another motorcyclist suffered minor injuries in the crash and was also taken to a local hospital.
According to the CHP, the incident occurred when the group Martins was riding with veered into traffic.
Martins collided with a sedan.
The CHP said that drugs or alcohol was not suspected in the incident, and the driver of the sedan remained on scene.
Portions of the highway were reported closed as a result of the crash but had reopened by 9:20 a.m.
Artesia Mayor Sally Flowers, a close friend of Martins, told HMG-CN, “It is a very sad time, I’m sitting across from Artesia City Hall watching the lowered flags as they wave gently in the breeze in honor of my long time friend Johnny Martins. It is a sad time in the City of Artesia for the entire community, he was such a good friend to so many people. My heart goes out especially to his family. He was always such a great leader, so much fun, so loved, and a man who was bigger than life. It is hard to believe he is no longer with us. Along with so many fond memories, Johnny has left a legacy in our community that lives on, and for that I am forever grateful.”
John Carlos Martins, Honorary Consul of Portugal in Los Angles, died Friday victim of a traffic accident, on Highway 150, Ventura County, Southern California. He was 54 years old.
One of the most relevant community members of the Portuguese community in Southern California, he was born in the parish of the Altares, Angra do Heroísmo. He emigrated with his family to the United States in 1966.
A businessman by profession, he served as Councilman between 2001 and 2003, and on March 3, 2004, he was elected Mayor of Artesia, Los Angeles, a position he held until November 10, 2010. He was appointed Honorary Consul of Portugal in Los Angeles, in 2015, a position he held until now.
It was in this capacity that John Martins was a guest at the reception during the visit of to the Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa to California, which took the past week.
The President of the Government of the Azores, Vasco Cordeiro, expressed deep regret at the death of Honorary Consul of Portugal in Los Angeles, emphasizing his success as an entrepreneur and, above all, his civic involvement in the local Azorean resident community.
“In his many civic, political, cultural and professional roles in the United States of America, John Martins has always shown a high sense of public service, never forgetting his connection to his roots in Terceira Island and the Azores, “said President Vasco Cordeiro.
A talented musician, John Martins was known by many for his readiness to help, and the ability to motivate everyone. His friends speak of him as a generous, honest person, a “legend” of the California Portuguese community, loved by all.
paj.staff
