Arrest Made in 2019 Disappearance of California Teen

STOCKTON, Calif. — Authorities in California have taken a 28-year-old man into custody in connection with the 2019 disappearance of Victoria Marquina, a 17-year-old high school student from Sutter Creek.

Joshua Martinez, who was previously a suspect but had been released due to insufficient evidence, is now being held without bail at the San Joaquin County Jail, as stated by the county District Attorney’s Office.

Alongside the murder charge, he was arrested on Friday due to statutory rape and additional child molestation charges.

Victoria went missing in October 2019 and has not been located since. The last known activity on her phone was on October 9 in San Joaquin County—an eerie detail considering that it was also the last day she was seen with Martinez in Livingston, according to reports.

Her car was discovered four days later in Escalon, which is situated around 90 miles east of San Francisco and over 80 miles from her home.

After her disappearance, Martinez reportedly fled to Mexico. He claimed to have dropped Victoria off at Sutter Creek before his departure. Interestingly, he met her via a dating app and allegedly misrepresented her age upon his release from prison in 2020, the agency has noted.

After some time, the case’s jurisdiction was shifted from Amador County to San Joaquin County, based on the location of her abandoned vehicle and other pertinent evidence.

As of now, it remains unclear if Martinez has legal representation. If found guilty, he could be facing a life sentence.

A reward of $60,000 was raised by friends and family who believed they could find answers about Victoria’s disappearance.

Martinez is expected to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time, where the San Joaquin County District Attorney, Ron Freitas, will hold a press conference along with officials from Amador County and the U.S. Marshals Department.