Tucson Man Pleads Guilty to Second Degree Murder of a Child

TUCSON, Ariz. - Pablo Martinez, Jr., 36, of Tucson, pleaded guilty on Monday to Second Degree Murder for the killing of a child. Sentencing is scheduled for July 5, 2024, before United States District Judge Scott H. Rash.

Martinez admitted that on September 29, 2019, he murdered the six-year-old victim by holding the victim's face under a running bathtub faucet for between five to ten minutes, while giving the victim a bath. The victim inhaled water that caused liquid thermal burns, resulting in his death. The victim was an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Indian Tribe.

A conviction for second degree murder carries a maximum penalty of up to life in prison, a fine of $250,000.00, and a term of five years of supervised release.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pascua Yaqui Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances M. Kreamer Hope and Matthew C. Cassell, District of Arizona, Tucson, are handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER: CR-19-2617-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-052_Martinez, Jr.

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