ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — A man who was found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage family member at their Centennial home fled after the second day of his trial and is now a wanted fugitive.
The 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office said the jury found Jose Del Carmen Garcia Martinez, 62, guilty of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust (two counts) and unlawful sexual contact (at-risk child).
The teen is not biologically related to the man.
Garcia Martinez had been released on a $50,000 bond when his trial started, but he only appeared for the first day. The trial continued however, and the jury found him guilty on all of the counts against him. The three counts are all class 3 felonies.
“This verdict reflects the jury’s clear recognition of the devastating abuse of trust inflicted on a vulnerable child,” Deputy District Attorney Tory Reavis said. “The defendant’s decision to flee during trial only underscores his disregard for the law and for the victim he harmed.”
This case began on Aug. 5, 2025, when deputies with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office responded to a sexual assault call at a home along the 5100 block of S. Truckee Street, the district attorney's office said. The mother of the victim had called 911 after the girl's grandmother witnessed Garcia Martinez's inappropriate behavior with the teen, the district attorney's office said. Investigators learned that the teen had reported a similar incident about two years prior, but that was not passed along to authorities.
Garcia Martinez was arrested that same day and booked into the Arapahoe County Jail.
He appeared for the start of his trial on March 24, 2026, but then fled. The district attorney's office did not provide any information about where he may have gone.
He is considered a wanted fugitive.
Anybody with information on Garcia Martinez's whereabouts should contact the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office at 720-874-8477.
District Attorney Amy Padden said her office and law enforcement partners will not stop searching for him.
"The victim in this case deserves justice, and we remain unwavering in our commitment to ensuring accountability," she said.
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