Sexual Assault Suspect's Family Shocked

Thursday, May 11, 2006

May 11, 2006 -- He is accused of assaulting three girls near Greenberg Elementary in Southeast Fresno. Thursday, Action News spoke with the family of Jose Luis Martinez.

Police have the man they believe sexually assaulted three little girls between the ages of 6 and 9. He is in jail and his family says they are shocked.

Police arrested Jose Luis Martinez not far from Greenberg Elementary, the area he's accused of enticing three girls into his car before driving them to another location and sexually assaulting them.

"He lured them with treats. But also led the victims to believe in each of these cases that he was familiar with the victim's family," said Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.

At Jose's Tire Shop, the business Martinez started, family members said they could not believe the news.

A nephew said, "We are shocked. This is such a surprise, a bad surprise. He was the big brother in the family. Everyone looked to him for advice."

Family members say police searched the family's Central Fresno home for hours, taking away several articles of clothing belonging to Martinez. They also took his computer.

Martinez' wife declined to comment.

At Greenberg Elementary, teachers talked with parents about the recent incidents.

Several parents say they felt relieved to hear Martinez was caught so soon after the alert went out.

"I'll worry less now, I ain't got to walk them to school now cause I used to walk them to school anyway. Now I don't have to worry since they caught him," said parent Betty Lee.

"I have a 10-year-old here and a 12-year-old here and that scares you. You know your little girl can't walk to school or out of school, knowing some grown man wanting to play with them or something," said parent Toma Threat.

Family members say Martinez was a janitor at Saint Agnes who was also a devout member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. If convicted, he could spent life in prison.

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