Former soldier arrested for allegedly raping woman in Montgomery County
Former soldier arrested for allegedly raping woman in Montgomery County
A former soldier is behind bars in California, accused of raping a woman in Montgomery County, and investigators believe there could be more victims out there. FOX 5's Homa Bash reports.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - A former soldier is behind bars in California, accused of raping a woman in Montgomery County and investigators believe there could be more victims out there.
The rape happened a year ago. It took DNA evidence and an incredible amount of investigative work for Montgomery County police to track down this suspect – a 27-year-old man living on the other side of the country.
"It's very rare we have cases like this in Montgomery County and I'm thankful for that, but this is one of those rare cases that it is a true nightmare for the victim," Montgomery County Police Capt. Jeff Bunge said.
The backstory:
The nightmare began on Dec. 18, 2024 at La Mexicana restaurant in Gaithersburg on Shady Grove Road.
A 35-year-old woman was at a party with friends, got a drink and some food at the bar.
Police say Martinez-Garcia offered to pay her tab. She accepted and then felt sick and left shortly after.
A few miles away, she got into a single-vehicle crash near Sam Eig and Great Seneca highways.
Investigators say Martinez-Garcia showed up and offered to help. Little did she know, he followed her there.
"She believed they were going to wait for assistance to arrive but, instead, he drove away, drove away to an address in Montgomery County where he brought her inside and sexually assaulted her," Bunge said.
It didn't end there.
Investigators say he then drove to the woman's home in Prince George's County and sexually assaulted her again.
Dig deeper:
Martinez-Garcia then moved to California after the alleged crime.
Detectives were able to track him down using DNA and forensic evidence, some of which was collected as part of the investigation while he served in the U.S. Army.
Martinez-Garcia was an infantryman in Texas and Georgia between 2019 and 2023, but it's not clear why he left the military.
He's charged with rape, kidnapping, and assault and will be extradited back to Maryland.
He's also under investigation for a sex assault in California, so detectives are worried there may be more victims out there who haven't come forward yet.