Share and Follow
In a significant development, authorities have charged a man in connection with the mysterious disappearance of a pregnant teenager in California over six years ago. The San Joaquin District Attorney, Ron Frietas, announced on March 16 that a grand jury has indicted Joshua Martinez in the case of Victoria Marquina.
Martinez faces serious charges including murder, unlawful intercourse with a minor more than three years younger, oral copulation with a person under 18, and sexual penetration by a foreign object with a victim under 18 years old. This case has remained unsolved for years, marking it as a significant breakthrough for law enforcement.
“This marks our second cold case prosecution since I assumed office,” Frietas stated during a press conference. “To those offenders who believe that time will erase their crimes, you are mistaken. We remain committed to seeking justice for the victims and their families.”
The last known sighting of Marquina was on October 9, 2019, near her place of work. When the 16-year-old failed to return home, her mother reported her missing the following day, prompting an extensive investigation.
Early in the investigation, suspicion turned towards Martinez, who was 21 at the time of Marquina’s disappearance. Frietas described their relationship as “very short,” yet it was sufficient to draw the attention of investigators.
From early on, suspicion fell to Martinez, who was 21 years old at the time Marquina disappeared. According to Frietas, the two had a “very short relationship.”
“They had met just about a month before her disappearance,” he said at the press conference. “She became pregnant, and then she went missing. So it was a whirlwind, very fast relationship, and very, very short.”
Martinez allegedly admitted to seeing Marquina around the time she disappeared, but told investigators that he’d dropped her off in Sutter Creek the morning of Oct. 6 and hadn’t seen her again, according to a 2019 statement from the Amador County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office added, “Joshua’s residence was searched, but Victoria was not located.”
The pregnant teenager’s black Honda Accord was later found abandoned on Oct. 13 in San Joaquin County. An eye witness had reported seeing a young Hispanic couple matching the description of Martinez and Marquina with his vehicle, the sheriff’s office said at the time.
Martinez fled to Mexico shortly after Marquina disappeared, but was later extradited back to the United States, according to CBS News. He was arrested once previously in connection to the case, but was later released.
New Information Led to Arrest of Joshua Martinez
Frietas said on March 16 that the new charges against Martinez were the result of some “new information” in the case, but declined to provide further details.
The Amardor County District Attorney’s Office—who worked in conjunction with the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office—said in a statement that evidence was discovered during the investigation “indicating that Victoria became the victim of a homicide outside of Amador County.”
“Victoria’s family has endured an unimaginable tragedy — the disappearance of a child under criminal circumstances,” Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe said in the statement. “The involvement of multiple agencies and evidence spanning several counties has made this already devastating situation even more complex and painful for them over the years.”
The teen’s body has never been found.
“Victoria is dead, and we are looking for her remains and the remains of her unborn child,” Frietas said during the press conference. “We need closure for the family. So anyone having that information of where her remains are, we’re asking them to come forward.”
Victoria Marquina’s Mom Says Daughter Had “Many Dreams”
In comments to CBS News Sacramento, Marquina’s mom Blance Valencia said through an interpreter that she believes “justice is working” in the case.
“I think that by now she would be graduated, received, and would be a fulfilled woman,” she told the outlet. ”She had many dreams. Many dreams. Unfortunately, someone cut us off. But I still have faith, I still have hope that she will return home.”
If convicted of the charges against him, Martinez could face a maximum sentence of life in prison, prosecutors said. He is currently being held without bail at the San Joaquin County jail. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 6.
It’s unclear whether he has retained an attorney. Oxygen reached out to the San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office, but did not receive an immediate reply.