Beloved Nashville eatery shutting down after owner killed by illegal:

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After feeding their local community faithfully for a decade, Smokin Thighs in Nashville announced that they would be closing their doors following the owner’s death.

Matt Carney, 42, passed away in July after sustaining injuries during an attempted robbery in the parking lot of his own restaurant. Police report that a 29-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, Ulises Martinez, admitted to hitting Carney with a vehicle while attempting to rob him.

“Saying goodbye is hard. It’s really hard,” Carney’s wife, Molly, wrote. “It is with profound sadness that I share the time has come for us all to say goodbye to Smokin’ Thighs.”

“To the Nashville community, I’ll be forever grateful for your welcoming spirit of Smokin’ Thighs. Your unwavering support of our family, particularly in these past months, has been remarkable,” her post continued. “Without you, Matt’s dream would never have become a reality.”

Carney had reportedly attempted to stop two men from stealing tools from the back of his truck outside the restaurant. When the two men attempted to flee, Carney was struck by their vehicle and was bleeding heavily after being flung from the hood of their truck. He would eventually be rushed to the hospital but would succumb to his injuries

In the days following the crime, Martinez was charged with criminal homicide and arrested. He also faces charges of tampering with evidence, vehicle theft, criminal impersonation, and evading arrest.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed to The Daily Wire that the alleged murderer was in the United States illegally, saying he was able to enter the country at “an unknown date and location, without being admitted or paroled by an immigration officer.”

Martinez had quite the criminal history, including three felony charges that were dismissed by Judge Jim Todd, claiming that the prosecutors failed to provide acceptable probable cause. At that time, he was arrested alongside Christian Arredondo, and the two stood accused of stealing a van, a truck, and stealing tools from a separate truck, not unlike what Martinez was allegedly doing the night he ran over Carney.

Adrian Diaz was allegedly the second man with Martinez on the night of the attempted robbery at Smokin’ Thighs and was arrested on July 10. He is facing charges of evading arrest and drug possession, and to nobody’s surprise, he is also in America illegally. In fact, he has reportedly been deported four previous times and has criminal records in both Indiana and Tennessee.

Martinez is scheduled to have a hearing on his charges in November.