Son arrested in mother's homicide investigation at Sacramento County home

SACRAMENTO COUNTY – A man has been arrested on suspicion of killing his mother by hitting her with a shovel and running her over with a car at a south Sacramento County home on Wednesday, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies arrived at the scene of Alta Mesa Road between Valensin Road and Arno Road, south of Wilton and northeast of Galt, around 2:40 p.m. Wednesday.

This is where they said a woman was found dead, possibly from blunt force trauma. The victim's body could be seen outside of the home in what appears to be a driveway.

Deputies believed the victim's 29-year-old son was barricaded in a building on the property, officials said. SWAT units were called to the scene.

The victim's son was detained after he was found inside the home hours later, deputies said. Investigators were not calling him a suspect in the homicide Wednesday night.

But by Thursday morning, deputies said the son was arrested for homicide. They identified him as John Martinez.

The sheriff's office said he hit his mom with a shovel repeatedly and ran her over with a car. He then tried to set her on fire, officials said.

Martinez was arrested for a restraining order violation in 2018, the sheriff's office said.

No motive is known at this point.

Investigators were at the scene overnight.