Authorities say a California fugitive accused of multiple child-sex crimes was quietly working at a suburban Chicago restaurant before Cook County deputies moved in and made the arrest.
According to the Cook County Sheriff's Office (Official), Jorge Martinez-Trejo was taken into custody on March 24 in Glendale Heights. Officials say he had been employed at a restaurant in the village and is now being held at the Cook County Jail while California authorities arrange his extradition.
The sheriff's office said its Fugitive Apprehension Unit worked with the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force to locate Martinez-Trejo in the west suburban community. The post states that he fled Monterey County, California, and that the Salinas Police Department issued an arrest warrant for him in June 2023 that set bail at $14 million.
"FUGITIVE FOUND," the post declared, noting Martinez-Trejo was taken into custody without incident. The sheriff's office says he faces multiple counts of sexual offenses involving children, including sex or sodomy with a child 10 or under, forcible lewd acts upon a child, aggravated sexual assault of a child, forcible rape of a victim over 14, and oral copulation with a child 10 or under.
Charges and bond details
The charges listed in the sheriff’s post stem from the Salinas Police Department arrest warrant issued in June 2023, which the post says carried a $14 million bond. Monterey County's published bail schedule shows elevated presumptive bail amounts for many child-sex offenses, according to Monterey County Superior Court.
How he was located
The Cook County Fugitive Apprehension Unit reported that it coordinated with federal partners to track Martinez-Trejo to Glendale Heights, where he was arrested. The U.S. Marshals Service's Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force is the regional unit that assists local agencies with fugitive hunts across Illinois and neighboring states, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Legal next steps
Martinez-Trejo remains in Cook County custody while California authorities prepare extradition paperwork. The sheriff’s office post also reminded readers that “defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”
If Monterey County completes the extradition process, Martinez-Trejo will be returned to California for arraignment and subsequent pretrial proceedings there.
