A Utah man is facing several charges and is believed to have fled the country after his 25-year-old daughter, Deputy Marbella Martinez, was found dead.
The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported last month that Martinez was discovered dead on August 1, less than six months after she became a corrections officer. The Tooele Police Department was investigating her death as suspicious.
Now, more than a month later, the Tooele City Police Department says that Martinez’s father, Hector Ramon Martinez-Ayala, faces multiple charges. These include murder, obstruction of justice, stalking, and unlawful possession and use of financial and identification documents.
Authorities believe Martinez-Ayala strangled his daughter and have seized several items, including his vehicle.
Martinez was found by police after a welfare check on August 1. Her body was discovered on her bed with “apparent fingernail claw marks on her face and neck.
Martinez had returned to her father’s home on July 31 around 11 a.m. and was last seen on an indoor camera around 12:23 p.m. Her father arrived home at 2:17 p.m. Any footage after this time was either deleted or not recorded, according to prosecutors.
Court documents allege that Martinez-Ayala had been stalking his daughter for months. The messages he sent her resembled those of a jealous lover more than a concerned father. The documents also claim that Martinez-Ayala placed a tracking device on her vehicle and had a bag of her underwear in his room.
Authorities believe Martinez-Ayala disposed of her phone, which was found along I-80, on his way to Salt Lake City Airport. He is suspected to have traveled to San Francisco and Houston before using his twin brother’s ID to leave the country. His last known location was outside the U.S.
Sheriff Rosie Rivera expressed deep sorrow, stating, Deputy Martinez was a dedicated member of our Sheriff’s Office family. Her loss is profound, and our thoughts are with her loved ones during this heartbreaking time. We hope the investigation brings answers and justice.
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