Jose Alberto Martinez had worked at TJ Pooles restaurant on Jericho Turnpike for 13 years. At about midnight on March 1 he finished his shift and started to walk to his Washington Avenue home.

Martinez, 32, never made it home that night. According to detectives, Martinez was shot one time in the chest by an as yet unknown assailant while walking on Horton Highway, just a stone's throw away from his house.

Officer James Whittaker, of the Nassau County Police Department, discovered Martinez after a neighbor alerted him to the sound of gunshot. Martinez was brought to Winthrop-University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 12:45 a.m. by attending staff physician Dr. Novac.

According to Detective Sgt. Daniel Severin, of Homicide Squad, Martinez was apparently robbed before or after he was shot. As of Monday, there were no leads on the case.

Severin is asking anyone in the Mineola area who has information about the incident to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous and there is a $1,000 reward for anyone with a tip that leads to an arrest.