A Centennial man convicted this week of sexually abusing his 15-year-old stepdaughter is now on the run after vanishing in the middle of his trial. Jose Del Carmen Garcia Martinez, 62, was found guilty by an Arapahoe County jury, but authorities say he stopped showing up after the second day of testimony. Investigators say the victim has disabilities and are asking the public to help track him down.
Jury Convicts Man On Multiple Child-Sex Charges
On Thursday, an Arapahoe County jury found Garcia Martinez guilty on two counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, described by prosecutors as a pattern of abuse, and one count of unlawful sexual contact of an at-risk child. Prosecutors say he appeared for the first day of trial, then failed to return after day two, so the case continued without him.
The charges trace back to an Aug. 5 arrest, when deputies were called to the 5100 block of South Truckee Street. According to a news release from the 18th Judicial District, a family member reportedly walked into a master-bedroom closet and saw the assault in progress. Investigators also learned the girl had reported a similar incident to her mother two years earlier, The Denver Gazette reported.
Where Authorities Are Searching
The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, which provides law enforcement services for the City of Centennial, is coordinating the search for Garcia Martinez and says it will follow up on credible tips. The sheriff’s administrative offices sit at 13101 E. Broncos Parkway in Centennial, and deputies handle investigations across the county.
Residents who think they have seen Garcia Martinez or know where he might be are urged to contact investigators so the information can be matched with active leads, rather than traded as neighborhood rumor.
Legal Implications And Next Steps
The convictions are class 3 felonies under Colorado law, a level that generally carries a presumptive prison range of four to 12 years for many offenses. A judge will decide the actual sentence after post-trial hearings.
Garcia Martinez had been released on a $50,000 bond following his arrest. Under Colorado law, failing to appear in court can trigger forfeiture of that bond and related enforcement proceedings. Skipping out on your own trial is not a harmless stunt; it is a choice that piles on legal trouble.
If you have information that could help locate Garcia Martinez, call the Arapahoe County tip line at (720) 874-8477, as noted by The Denver Gazette. For details on sentencing ranges and bail-forfeiture rules, see Colorado Revised Statutes §18-1.3-401 and §16-4-112 on Justia.
