Dad arrested for attempted murder of 3-year-old son (Willows, California)

Dad JOSE LUIZ MARTINEZ has been arrested on charges of attempted murder in the beating of his 3-year-old son, who is in critical condition. This is one of the few news articles that clarifies that although the mother was in the room when this happened, she was "not in a position to do anything about it." As much as we'd all like mothers to be superheroes, this is not the reality in too many cases. Especially when the legal system has made it more and more difficult to make a clean break from these types. As a recent case in Chicago shows, you can have a father "allegedly" kill a child, but that doesn't necessarily keep him from having unsupervised visitation with a surviving child.

http://www.orland-press-register.com/news/critical-5460-willows-father.html

Willows child in critical condition; father in jail
Tuesday, May 11 2010, 10:03 pm
By Rob Parsons/Tri-County Newspapers

A 3-year-old Willows boy is in critical condition tonight and his father arrested on charges of attempted murder, authorities said.

Christopher Solis Martinez was taken by helicopter to the UC Davis Medical center shortly after 5 p.m., Glenn County Sheriff Larry Jones said.

“This is a very serious issue where a large adult appears to have assaulted and critically injured his own child,” Jones said.

The boy’s father, Jose Luis Martinez, 24, has been booked into the Glenn County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and willful child cruelty.His bail is set at $1 million, jail staff confirmed.

Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Glenn Medical Center just before 5 p.m. and were informed the child’s heart had stopped and CPR was being administered, authorities said.

The boy’s father reportedly attacked the child, striking him in the upper torso an undetermined number of times, causing blunt force trauma, Jones said.

Determining the exact nature of the child’s injuries is proving difficult because “the child is very small,” Jones said.

No weapons were used in the reported attack and there are no indications that drugs or alcohol were factors, Jones said.

However, Jose Martinez submitted to a blood-draw and those results are pending, Jones said.
Investigators are uncertain what provoked the reported attack, but Jones said the child had been “upset and crying” prior.

The child’s mother, Nalley Martinez, 20, was present, Jones said, but is not considered a suspect. She allowed investigators to search the family’s home in the 500 block of North Colusa Street, in the unincorporated area of Willows.

“She was in the room, but not in a position to do anything about it,” Jones said.

Jones said additional charges could be added later as the investigation progresses.

Jose Martinez has no known prior criminal history, Jones said, but the investigation is still in the early stages.

The child was listed in critical condition just before 10, a hospital spokesman said.

Further information will be reported as it becomes available.