TX - Jerry Lee Martinez, 45 charged after 17-year old daughter gives birth in Walmart and throws baby in trash - Kleberg County, July 2025

[Clearsky]

Teen Allegedly Gave Birth in Walmart and Put Baby in Trash — Now Her Father Is Under Arrest

Jerry Lee Martinez, 45, was arrested and charged with abandoning or endangering a child with criminal negligence

people.com

Deputies with the Kleberg County Sheriff’s Office pulled over the vehicle in the parking lot. The 17-year-old girl was taken to the hospital and her father, 45-year-old Jerry Lee Martinez, was arrested and charged with abandoning or endangering a child with criminal negligence, police said.

 

[bootsinmass]

This is obviously awful.

It's a familiar story, but this one seems to have played out a little differently than others.

The article seems to suggest the young lady's father to be the main perpetrator. It doesn't mention any charges against her, only her father. Maybe this was his solution to his minor daughter's "unwanted" (at least by him) pregnancy. It certainly sounds like he coerced her in some fashion due to the charges, especially the one for witness tampering.

Hoping the young woman recovers in hospital and gets the help she will no doubt need.

 

[Ontario Mom]

I'm a little confused. The 17 yr old is the one that left the baby in the garbage. The way the article reads, her dad never even went into the store so I'm not sure why he was charged and she wasn't?

 

[Goecke]

There's definitely more to the story here, IMO. There's a few situations that come to mind as to why only the father was charged.

 

[tlcya]

Kleberg County Sheriff's Office jail records show Jerry Lee Martinez, the baby's grandfather, was arrested on charges of abandoning or endangering a child with criminal negligence. He is also charged with tampering with physical evidence with the intent to impair and tampering with a witness.
Grandfather arrested after newborn found in Walmart trash bag

No hearing date has been set and no attorney of record is noted for the infant's grandfather. I wonder if his charges stem from him taking his teen daughter there with the intent to have her deliver in the restroom and abandon the baby?

and then there is THIS:

Mathis Police Chief Willie Figueroa told KRIS 6 News that Mathis PD arrested Jerry Martinez's stepfather, 60-year-old Mario Duran. He has been charged with sexual assault and has been booked at the San Patricio County Jail.

His bond has been set at $300,000.
Grandfather of newborn baby found in Kingsville Walmart restroom appears in court, second arrest made

It is sounding to me like the teen who gave birth may have been SA'd by a family member and that is why her own father participated in this attempted coverup. I suspect the teen was coerced/forced into abandoning her baby by her father and step grandfather.

 

[SluethinAway]

There's definitely more to the story here, IMO. There's a few situations that come to mind as to why only the father was charged.

Kleberg County Sheriff's Office jail records show Jerry Lee Martinez, the baby's grandfather, was arrested on charges of abandoning or endangering a child with criminal negligence. He is also charged with tampering with physical evidence with the intent to impair and tampering with a witness.
Grandfather arrested after newborn found in Walmart trash bag

No hearing date has been set and no attorney of record is noted for the infant's grandfather. I wonder if his charges stem from him taking his teen daughter there with the intent to have her deliver in the restroom and abandon the baby?

and then there is THIS:

Mathis Police Chief Willie Figueroa told KRIS 6 News that Mathis PD arrested Jerry Martinez's stepfather, 60-year-old Mario Duran. He has been charged with sexual assault and has been booked at the San Patricio County Jail.

His bond has been set at $300,000.
Grandfather of newborn baby found in Kingsville Walmart restroom appears in court, second arrest made

It is sounding to me like the teen who gave birth may have been SA'd by a family member and that is why her own father participated in this attempted coverup. I suspect the teen was coerced/forced into abandoning her baby by her father and step grandfather.

"tampering with physical evidence with the intent to impair and tampering with a witness."

Pretty sure that is why she has not been charged.

 

[tlcya]

"tampering with physical evidence with the intent to impair and tampering with a witness."

Pretty sure that is why she has not been charged.

yep. I think she is another victim of one or both men. MOO

 

[Goecke]

I didn't want to say anything given TOS but now that I see that an arrest has been made for sexual assault, I'll say this is what I suspected from the beginning. This poor girl, I hope she gets the help she needs.

 

[Clearsky]

I'm a little confused. The 17 yr old is the one that left the baby in the garbage. The way the article reads, her dad never even went into the store so I'm not sure why he was charged and she wasn't?

Dad impregnated daughter, took her to get abortion before she had stillborn in Walmart: Cops

An arrest affidavit said Martinez's daughter told detectives that her father began "touching her inappropriately" when she was 15 years old.

lawandcrime.com

Texas officials say a dad raped his 17-year-old daughter, who then became pregnant with his child and had a miscarriage in a Walmart bathroom after he took her to Mexico to have an abortion.

 

[LittleSeaTree]

Holy s***. Sick sick sick.

 

[seasideForest]

Dad impregnated daughter, took her to get abortion before she had stillborn in Walmart: Cops

An arrest affidavit said Martinez's daughter told detectives that her father began "touching her inappropriately" when she was 15 years old.

lawandcrime.com

More information in this article linked by @Clearsky such as this wasn't the first sexual assault on the daughter.
He'd punched her repeatedly in the stomach when he found out she was pregnant.

 

[Warwick7]

He needs to be locked away forever. If he is ever out he will do this again and again and again.

 

[seasideForest]

He needs to be locked away forever. If he is ever out he will do this again and again and again.

Not just him either, there's a second man involved - Martinez's 60 yo stepfather, Mario Duran, 'faces sexual assault charges' also in the Law & Crime article linked.

That poor girl!
MOO

 

[nao]

Was there a mother to this abused girl living with this family unit?

 

[Ontario Mom]

Dad impregnated daughter, took her to get abortion before she had stillborn in Walmart: Cops

An arrest affidavit said Martinez's daughter told detectives that her father began "touching her inappropriately" when she was 15 years old.

lawandcrime.com

Texas officials say a dad raped his 17-year-old daughter, who then became pregnant with his child and had a miscarriage in a Walmart bathroom after he took her to Mexico to have an abortion.

View attachment 602808

In cases like this, straight to the firing squad. Predatory, murderous monster. UGH.

 

[Goecke]

Wondering why he's being charged with SA of a child and not rape. There's proof he raped her.
Bury him (and the grandpa) under the jail.

 

[LadyL]

Wondering why he's being charged with SA of a child and not rape. There's proof he raped her.
Bury him (and the grandpa) under the jail.

is it the charge 'rape' in Texas?
in a lot of places, SA = rape and is the legal term

ETA: I found this at Understanding rape laws and penalties in Texas | The Shapiro Law Firm:

Standard rape charges and penalties in Texas​

A person accused of rape may face one of three different charges under Texas law. The classifications of rape charges and associated penalties are as follows:

• Sexual assault​

Sexual assault is lodged as a second-degree felony. Anyone convicted of sexual assault may receive a jail sentence from between two and 20 years.

• Aggravated sexual assault​

Aggravated sexual assault is the most serious rape count and is a first-degree felony. This can include sexual abuse of children as well as acts involving persons of legal adult age. Jail time for anyone convicted of this crime is between five and 99 years.

• Indecency with a child​

If any sexual assault of a child includes sexual contact such as touching of sexual body parts through clothing, the charge is for a second-degree felony. If there was an alleged intent to arouse, the charge is listed as a third-degree felony.

All three charge classifications carry with them a $10,000 fine for any persons who are convicted.

 

[tlcya]

If Jerry was her rapist why is his stepfather, Mario, charged with SA? Were they both SAing this poor girl?

 

[seasideForest]

If Jerry was her rapist why is his stepfather, Mario, charged with SA? Were they both SAing this poor girl?

Presumably.
MOO

 

[Goecke]

Thank you for clarifying, LadyL! I wasn't aware of the laws in Texas.