TOOELE, Utah (TCN) — A 54-year-old man who police described as “becoming increasingly obsessed and controlling” of his 25-year-old daughter has been charged with allegedly fatally strangling her, then fleeing the country.
Marbella Martinez was found dead in her home on Aug. 1 when officers from the Tooele Police Department conducted a welfare check at her home. Tooele Police said they were “investigating her death as suspicious.” Martinez worked for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office and was sworn in as a corrections officer on Jan. 11.
KSL.com reports Martinez’s father, Hector Ramon Martinez-Ayala, was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of obstructing justice, stalking, unlawful possession of a bank card, two counts of unlawful use of a bank card, and unlawful possession of someone else’s identification.
According to the affidavit cited by KSL.com, Martinez and her father lived together. About two weeks before she was killed, Martinez-Ayala allegedly “purchased a tracking device and hidden spy cameras” and put them on her car. On July 29, he allegedly followed her and caught her with her “romantic interest,” which led to an argument. She reportedly stayed in a hotel for two nights and returned to their residence on the morning of July 31.
Camera footage from the home reportedly showed Martinez-Ayala arriving at 2:17 p.m. on July 31. Investigators said there is no footage after that time because cameras were disabled inside.
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KSL.com reports Martinez-Ayala drove to the airport and threw Martinez’s phone out of the window along the highway. Martinez-Ayala allegedly flew to San Francisco, then Houston. He reportedly used his twin brother’s identity when he landed in another country, which was not specified in the documents.
Investigator said Martinez-Ayala’s “whereabouts are unknown, but his last known location was outside of the United States.”
Charging documents cited by KUTV-TV allege Martinez-Ayala sent his daughter “increasingly troublesome” text messages that “are more of the nature of a jealous lover than a father.”
On July 31 at 4:34 p.m., Martinez-Ayala reportedly texted his brother, “My brother, you know much I love you, I made a big mistake, an unforgivable sin, now I’m too scared and I don’t know what to do. I think I will never come back.”
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said in a statement after Martinez’s death, “Deputy Martinez was a dedicated member of our Sheriff’s Office family. In her short time with us, she became a cherished friend and an integral part of our team. Her untimely and tragic death is a profound loss for us all.”