Katy, Friendswood resident named in wrongful death suit

Residents of Katy and Friendswood have been named in a wrongful death suit after a security guard was shot and killed while working at North Houston’s La Pantera Club.

Norma Padilla, individually and as a representative of the estate of Luis Martinez, filed a lawsuit on May 2 in the Harris County District Court against Katy resident Alberto Diaz, individually and doing business as Worldwide Security & Investigations, Christoph Holdings Inc., of Friendswood, and La Pantera Club, alleging negligence.

Padilla says that on Jan. 31, Luis Martinez was shot and killed while working security at La Pantera Club. According to the brief, the defendants knew that La Pantera’s, a crowded and dangerous place, called for significant security personnel because of a recent surge of criminal activity, but failed to provide Martinez with proper back-up or training.

Padilla is seeking all damages to which she is entitled and court costs. She is being represented in the case by Houston attorney Javier Marcos Jr.

Harris County District Court Case No. 2011-26364.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Harris County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.