A California man has been arrested for murder in connection with the 2019 disappearance of 17-year-old Victoria Marquina after he was originally an early suspect in the case.
The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office said that Joshua Martinez is currently being held without bail at the San Joaquin County Jail, according to Fox News. While Martinez, 28, was an early suspect in Marquina’s disappearance case, he was ultimately released in 2020 due to a lack of evidence.
Martinez was arrested on Friday, March 13, on a murder charge, a statutory rape charge and other child sex allegations, per the outlet.
Marquina was first reported missing in October 2019, and her body has never been found.
She was originally from Amador County, though her phone was last pinged in San Joaquin County on October 9, 2019. The date also marks the last time she was seen, which happened to be with Martinez in Livingston, California, according to a missing person flyer.
Four days after she went missing, police found Marquina’s abandoned car about 50 miles from her home in Escalon.
CBS 13 reported that after Marquina disappeared, Martinez fled to Mexico. Additionally, he allegedly told police that he dropped her off in Sutter Creek before he left the country.
He was arrested in June 2019 on several charges related to sex with a minor, and he was eventually brought back to the United States. However, he was released from custody and the charges were dropped in December 2020.
Martinez previously said he had met Marquina on a dating app and claimed she lied about her age before they met in person.
When asked why he fled to Mexico, Martinez claimed to CBS 13 that he had to get away after he received death threats over Marquina’s disappearance.
It is not currently clear if Martinez has a lawyer in light of his recent arrest, while it has also not been revealed if he has entered a plea. The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office told Us Weekly that they didn’t have any additional updates to share regarding the case.
Martinez appeared in court on Monday, March 16, while a press conference was scheduled to follow the hearing.
After Martinez’s initial charges were dropped in 2020, Marquina’s mother, Blanca, told CBS 13 that the last time she saw her daughter was on Main Street in Sutter Creek.
“That’s the last time I see her,” Blanca said. “She said, ‘Mom, I see you later in the night and it’s OK, God bless you.’”
While Martinez’s charges were dropped the first time around, Blanca told the outlet that she stood by her belief that he killed her daughter. “He did it. I’m sure,” she said at the time.
“It is frustrating. It’s heartbreaking for the family, we really want closure and our goal was a conviction,” County Undersheriff Gary Redman said in a statement after Martinez was released in 2020, per CBS 13.
