Martinez charged with sexually assaulting daughter in Kingsvillle dead baby case

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — 3NEWS has obtained the arrest affidavit that led to Jerry Lee Martinez’s arrest for sexual assault of a child.

In the report, a Texas Ranger said he was called in by a Kingsville Police Department detective working the case after investigation led them to discover Martinez was with his 17-year-old daughter when she left a dead newborn baby in the Kingsville Walmart bathroom Monday night.

The girl told investigators Thursday that Martinez, her father, had begun “touching her inappropriately” when she was 15 years old and forced her to have sex with him.

She said he sexually assaulted her several times her over the last two years.

She also told them he was the father of her child, and that he had taken her to Mexico to have the baby aborted Monday. The report states that the girl said this is why the baby was stillborn when it was left in the bathroom. 

She told investigators and counselors that once her father found out she was pregnant, he hit her in the stomach on several occasions.

San Patricio District Attorney Marjorie Silva confirmed to 3NEWS on Friday that Martinez is also charged with with sexually assaulting his daughter.  

He is being held on $1 million bond.

Officials said it was possible Martinez could face additional charges when he appeared in court Thursday morning after being arrested Tuesday for child endangerment/abandonment-criminal negligence in relation to the case. 

The 45-year-old Mathis resident also is charged with tampering with a witness and tampering with evidence.

Neither the Kingsville Police Department officials nor the Kleberg County District Attorney have released the basis for those tampering charges.  

105th District Court Judge Jack Pulcher set Martinez’s bail for each of the three charges at $100,000, making the total for his bail $300,000. 

He also was ordered under house arrest, and he will be GPS monitored.

He also was ordered to have no contact with family outside of his home, the victim, or the witness.

His daughter is not in police custody and is in a secure location, Blair said. 

He also said Mathis Police Department is investigating in addition to the Kingsville PD.

This is a developing story. 3NEWS will provide updates as they become available.

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