Johanna Martinez was making pupusas when she heard gunshots nearby and quickly dropped to the ground to seek cover.
Soon after, she rushed toward the sound of the shooting in MacArthur Park where she saw two wounded people and tried to keep one alive.
“I knew they needed help, especially one person who wasn’t being helped by anyone,” Martinez, 30, said, recalling the shooting. “I got close and tried to keep him alive until the ambulance arrived.”
The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office honored Martinez Friday, along with Allie Shehorn, a domestic violence survivor, for their actions at a Courage Awards ceremony hosted by the Rotary Club of Los Angeles.
Deputy District Attorney Heather Brel said one of the wounded victims from the June 23, 2024 shooting incident was an innocent bystander, Rosario Cruz, who suffered severe blood loss and lost consciousness after being struck by a bullet.
Martinez then performed CPR and kept Cruz conscious until the paramedics arrived.
According to the DA’s office, the Courage Awards, formerly known as the Courageous Citizen Awards, were launched in 1986 and are given to individuals who demonstrate exceptional bravery and selflessness whether by assisting in criminal prosecutions, helping victims, testifying under pressure, preventing crimes or helping to apprehend suspects.
“Ms. Martinez selflessly gave life-saving aid to an innocent gunshot victim, then made sure the offender was held accountable in court,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement.
“Her decision to rush toward danger and perform CPR saved his life,” the DA’s office announced in a news release.
Martinez also testified at both the preliminary hearing and trial, where a jury convicted Fredrick Daniels for three separate shootings carried out over the summer of 2024 that left at least seven people injured, including Cruz.
Daniels was sentenced to over 125 years to life in prison this August.
Martinez, originally from La Unión, El Salvador, has worked as a street vendor selling pupusas, pasteles Salvadoreños, fried yuca and more with her mother since 2010 when she first arrived in Los Angeles.
As of two weeks ago, Martinez graduated with a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) degree.
“I still go out some days to sell [food] on the streets, but on September 18th I graduated as a nurse so what I’m looking forward to in the future is working at a hospital,” Martinez said.
She added that she hopes street vendors don’t get discouraged and keep moving forward with their goals.
She added, “I know that if we put our minds to it, we can excel and help others or achieve our dreams.”