A tragic incident has led to the arrest of a Georgia man who allegedly murdered his mother before fleeing in her vehicle. This unsettling case has unfolded in the state known for its peaches, with law enforcement working diligently to bring the accused to justice.

Addison Martinez, aged 37, is facing multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, family violence, and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony. These charges stem from the tragic death of his 59-year-old mother, Vida Martinez. This week, a Chatham County grand jury indicted him on these serious allegations.

The events that led to this grim situation occurred in late October 2025. The crime scene was an apartment located on Oyster Shell Road in Wilmington Island, a community roughly 10 miles southeast of Savannah.

It was a night that ended in horror when Vida Martinez’s daughter discovered her mother’s body. According to a report by Savannah-based CBS affiliate WTOC, the victim had suffered at least one stab wound, as confirmed by the Chatham County Police Department and the county coroner’s office.

The victim had been stabbed at least once, according to the Chatham County Police Department and the county coroner’s office.

The slain woman’s obituary remembers her fondly:

Vida was a dearly devoted mother; her grandchildren especially being her pride and joy…

She was a woman of steadfast faith, a collector of art, and a purveyor of all things beautiful. Vida brought endless amounts of joy and laughter to all that knew her. An eternal optimist, always with a helping hand and a most generous heart – she was a true blessing to this world.

That same night, officers found the victim’s vehicle abandoned in a commercial parking lot in Pooler, a small city located some 20 miles northwest of the victim’s residence. That discovery led investigators to identify the defendant as a person of interest, police said.

Law enforcement circulated a photograph of Addison Martinez said to have been taken by his mother the day before she was killed as a multi-agency manhunt ensued and officers combed the area.

Addison Martinez appears in a photo circulated during a manhunt in late October 2025 (Chatham County Police Department).

On Oct. 28, 2025, the day after the woman’s body was found, her son was arrested at a Parker’s gas station in the same general area.

“They had a friend who lived in the same apartment complex and had actually heard screams from the interaction with the victim,” an employee at a store near the apartment complex told the TV station.

The defendant was taken into custody, questioned, and initially charged with one count of felony murder.

Just five days before the slaying, on Oct. 22, 2025, Addison Martinez had was released on bond from jail in Glynn County on charges of aggravated assault and terroristic threats and acts, WTOC reported. The defendant’s bond was $178 in that earlier case. He had spent eight months in jail prior to his release.

Addison Martinez is being detained in the Chatham County Jail with no bond.