San Joaquin County prosecutors on Monday announced that Joshua Anthony Martinez has been rearrested in connection with the 2019 disappearance of 16-year-old Victoria Marquina. Martinez is being held without bail on newly filed charges that include murder and multiple alleged sex offenses involving a minor. Marquina's body has never been recovered, and investigators say portions of the case have been re-examined in recent months.
The San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office confirmed the arrest Monday, and a jail booking log lists murder and several sex-crime charges, according to CBS Sacramento. Martinez is scheduled to appear in San Joaquin County court on Monday and is being held without bail, the outlet reported.
How investigators say Marquina vanished
According to The Charley Project, Victoria Amairani Marquina was last seen in early October 2019 after attending a concert. Her phone was later traced to San Joaquin County, and her black Honda Accord was found abandoned in Escalon. Investigators previously identified Martinez as one of the last people to see Marquina. He told authorities he dropped the 16-year-old off in Sutter Creek and then left the area days later, the case file shows.
That earlier investigation led to Martinez being arrested in late 2020 on sex-related charges and a separate murder Ramey warrant, according to the same case file. He was later released after prosecutors said the evidence at that time was largely circumstantial.
Cold case task force reopened files
In April 2025, San Joaquin County launched a countywide cold case task force to re-examine unsolved homicides, suspicious missing-person cases and sexual assaults. Officials say that review has generated new investigative leads. San Joaquin County has described the effort as a multi-agency push that brings fresh forensic review and added resources to older files.
The district attorney's office has scheduled a 2:30 p.m. press conference Monday to provide an update on the case. CBS Sacramento reported that it plans to live-stream the remarks.
What happens next in court
Martinez now faces a formal slate of felony charges that prosecutors must support at arraignment and, if the case advances, at a preliminary hearing and trial. He was previously arrested on a Ramey warrant, a judge-issued arrest order used when investigators present probable cause directly to a court, as outlined in the case file compiled by The Charley Project.
With no body recovered, prosecutors will rely on circumstantial evidence and witness testimony as the charging documents move through Superior Court.
Authorities continue to ask anyone with information about Marquina's disappearance to contact local law enforcement. This story is expected to be updated after the district attorney's 2:30 p.m. briefing with information about the evidence and next steps.
