Man pleads guilty to child sex abuse

WINDOW ROCK, Nov. 27, 2013

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Ronald Martinez, 40, of Borrego Pass, N.M., entered guilty pleas Nov. 20 to two aggravated child sex abuse charges. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Martinez will be sentenced to 42 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. Martinez will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.

Martinez was arrested in April 2013, on an indictment charging him with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and two counts of abusive sexual contact. According to the indictment, between 1996 and 2002, Martinez aided and abetted sexual contact and abuse with two child victims who had not attained the age of 12 years on the Navajo Reservation.

On Nov. 20, Martinez pleaded guilty to the two aggravated child sexual abuse charges. According to Martinez's plea agreement, in Sept. 2011, a 17-year-old reported being sexually abused by Martinez when the victim was five or six years old. The victim also reported that Martinez also abused another child during that same period in time.

Martinez admitted abusing the two child victims by directing another child to sexually abuse and to sexually assault the two child victims. Martinez also admitted threatening the two child victims so that they would not reveal the abuse. Martinez also admitted that the child who abused the child victims did so after being threatened by Martinez.

Martinez has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.



Man arrested for aggravated battery

SAN JUAN COUNTY - On Nov. 20, San Juan County Sheriff's Deputies were dispatched to attempt to intercept one vehicle ramming another near the intersection of New Mexico Hwy 516 and County Road 350.

Deputies responded to the area and located a red, 80's model GMC truck actively chasing a smaller Ford truck. The driver of the GMC, later identified as 52-year-old Stephen Freeman of Farmington, was pulled over and detained without incident.

Subsequent investigation revealed the driver of the Ford truck was Freeman's ex-girlfriend, 43-year-old Patricia Moore of Farmington. Freeman had been at Moore's house doing a repair when he began acting oddly. Moore suspected drug usage and asked him to leave.

A short time later Moore prepared to leave the residence with three juvenile family members ranging from ages 13 to 14 years old. As they left, Freeman came speeding down the road and attempted to block them in the driveway.

Moore was able to get around Freeman's vehicle, and he began chasing her, attempting to force her off the road. Moore and the children claimed that Freeman rammed their vehicle twice from behind during his attempts to force Moore off the highway. Freeman denied the ramming allegations, saying he was just trying to get Moore to pull over.

Freeman was arrested and booked into the San Juan County Detention Center on the charges of aggravated battery against a household member with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault against a household member with a deadly weapon, abuse of a child (placing a child in a dangerous situation) and reckless driving. His bond was set at $100,000.

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