CC True Crime Minute: Man Charged with Murder of Missing Pregnant High School Student

This is your True Crime Minute from courtroom confidential.

You're fast, no nonsense, update on the latest True Crime

developments.

I'm your host, award-winning prosecutor and criminal defense attorney

Joshua Ritter.

Let's get into it.

A man has been charged with murder and connection to the 2019

disappearance of a pregnant high school student in California.

Last week, Joshua Martinez was arrested in connection with Victoria

Martinez vanishing in October of 2019.

He was indicted before a San Joaquin County grand jury on four

felon accounts, including murder.

Martinez, age 28, had allegedly been in an unlawful dating

relationship with the then 16-year-old Marquina before her mother

reported her missing in Sutter Creek.

San Joaquin district attorney Ron Friedas said that the pair were

in the midst of a very short relationship before Marquina

vanished.

Quote, they had met just about a month before her disappearance

and she became pregnant.

It was a whirlwind, very fast relationship and very short.

Martinez has previously been arrested in connection with the case,

but was released from custody.

Marquina, who is from Amador County, was last seen in Livingston with

Martinez on October 9th of 2019.

Police found her car abandoned in Escalon four days later, more than

50 miles from her home.

Shortly after Marquina vanished, Martinez fled to Mexico, but was

extra-died back to the US.

When questioned in 2020, Martinez alleged that he met Marquina on a

dating app and claimed she had lied about her age.

He alleged to the police that he dropped her off in Sutter Creek following

their last meetup.

Despite Marquina's vehicle and phone having been located in San Joaquin

County, sensor disappearance, the whereabouts of her body remain unknown.

Martinez is being held without bail at the San Joaquin County jail.

He's facing a maximum sentence of life in prison, if convicted.

And that's your true crime minute.

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