Former New Mexico deputy sentenced to 9 years in prison for raping female arrestee

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) – A former Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office deputy will spend almost a decade behind bars for raping a female arrestee and trying to destroy the evidence. In April 2023, Michael Martinez arrested a woman for drunk driving and before taking her to the Doña Ana County Detention Center sexually assaulted her in the back of his patrol car. He then tried to destroy the car’s camera system which had captured the assault.

Martinez pled guilty to sexual assault and obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to nine years in prison and will have to register as a sex offender when he’s released.

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