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Arrest Made in 2019 Teen Disappearance Case
16 Mar
Summary
- Man arrested for murder in 2019 disappearance of a 17-year-old girl.
- The suspect was previously an early suspect but released due to lack of evidence.
- The victim's body has never been found since her disappearance.
Joshua Martinez, 28, has been arrested for murder concerning the 2019 disappearance of 17-year-old Victoria Marquina. He was initially a suspect but released in 2020 due to a lack of evidence. The San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office stated Martinez is held without bail.
Marquina was reported missing in October 2019; her body remains unfound. Her phone last pinged in San Joaquin County on October 9, 2019, the day she was last seen with Martinez in Livingston, California. Her car was found abandoned in Escalon four days later.
Following Marquina's disappearance, Martinez reportedly fled to Mexico. He had allegedly told police he dropped her off in Sutter Creek before leaving the country. He was arrested in June 2019 on sex-with-a-minor charges and brought back to the U.S., but those charges were dropped in December 2020.
Martinez claimed he met Marquina on a dating app and she misrepresented her age. He told CBS 13 he fled to Mexico due to death threats. He appeared in court on Monday, March 16. Marquina's mother maintained her belief that Martinez killed her daughter, expressing frustration over the lack of closure for the family.
