Joshua Martinez, 28, has been charged with murder in the disappearance of Victoria Marquina, his pregnant teenage girlfriend who vanished six years ago. According to prosecutors, Martinez and Marquina were in a brief relationship when she disappeared in October 2019 at age 16.
Key Takeaways
Joshua Martinez has been charged with murder in the 2019 disappearance of his pregnant teenage girlfriend, Victoria Marquina. Authorities used new technology to crack the case after it initially stalled.
- Joshua Martinez charged with murder six years after Victoria Marquina's disappearance
- New technology and information helped reopen the cold case
- Martinez faces life in prison if convicted; remains held without bail
- Marquina's body has not been found, but her car was discovered abandoned
Martinez was arraigned on Monday in San Joaquin County Superior Court after being arrested last Thursday. He faces additional charges including unlawful intercourse with a minor, oral sex with a person under 18, and sexual penetration by a foreign object with a minor. Authorities said new technology and information helped crack the case, which had previously stalled.
San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas stated that technological advances over the past year allowed charges against Martinez to move forward despite six years having passed since Marquina's disappearance. 'To the criminals who believe that with the passage of time we will forget your heinous acts: you are wrong,' he said.
Marquina was last seen alive on October 9, 2019 near her workplace in Amador County. Her car was found abandoned near Escalon four days later. Martinez fled to Mexico shortly after her disappearance but was arrested by U.S. Marshals last week. He is being held without bail and has yet to enter a plea.
Marquina's body has not been found, with investigators still searching for the remains of both her and her unborn child. Her mother, Blance Valencia, expressed hope that her daughter will return home but acknowledged that someone had cut short Victoria's many dreams.
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