SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 14, 2009
Man Arrested In 14-Yr-Old Marriage Case
Cops Say Calif. Man Arranged Daughter's Marriage In Exchange For Cash, Beer And Meat
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In this handout photo provided by the Monterey County Sheriff's Department, Marcelino de Jesus Martinez, 36, of Greenfield, Calif., is shown. (AP/Montgomery County Sheriff)
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Authorities in Greenfield, a farming community on California's central coast, said they learned of the deal after Marcelino de Jesus Martinez, 36, asked them for help getting back his daughter after payment wasn't made.
Martinez was arrested Sunday. He's scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Monterey County Superior Court on felony charges of procuring a child under age 16 for lewd and lascivious acts, statutory rape and cruelty to a child by endangering health, according to the prosecutor.
The prosecutor's office said Martinez did not have an attorney of record yet.
Police also arrested the intended groom, 18-year-old Margarito de Jesus Galindo, on suspicion of statutory rape, but prosecutors have not decided whether to charge him. Police did not return a message Tuesday for information on whether Galindo had an attorney.
Martinez is a member of an indigenous Mexican Trique community. Greenfield police Chief Joe Grebmeier said the case highlights an issue confronting local authorities in that arranged marriages with girls as young as 12 are not uncommon among the Trique.
He hesitated to say the girl was being sold into marriage, as the money was intended as a dowry and the beer and meat were for the wedding. But, he added, the arrangement violates California law, where the age of consent for marriage is 18, and with parental approval, 16.
"This is not a traditional trafficking case because there is no force or coercion in this," Grebmeier said. "We're aware of the cultural issues here, but state law trumps cultural sensitivity."
Grebmeier is planning to meet with leaders in the Trique community to talk about how some cultural practices might conflict with California law.
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Greenfield police Chief
"Initially, when everyone was talking to us, we learned a lot because they had no realization that it's against the law - an arranged marriage for money with a minor," Grebmeier said.
Initially, when everyone was talking to us, we learned a lot because they had no realization that it's against the law.
Joe Grebmeier,Greenfield police Chief
Many Trique immigrants are part of the stream of farm workers who tend California's fruit and vegetable fields, living in communities scattered along the coast and the state's agricultural Central Valley. The often speak only Trique, an indigenous language, and come from villages with cultural traditions that set them apart from other Mexicans.
Service organizations have been working to help them integrate, said Jonathan Fox, a professor of Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who has worked extensively with indigenous immigrants.
"This is certainly not the first such case I've heard of," he said of the marriage involving an underage girl.
Members of the indigenous community protested the news reports and public discussion of the case, saying they were painted in a very negative light.
"No one put a 'for sale' sign on this girl, and that's how it sounds," said Rufino Dominguez, an indigenous immigrant and head of the Greenfield office of the Binational Center for the Development of the Indigenous Communities.
He said arranging marriages and exchanging goods that will contribute to the wedding party are common, but money is not usually part of the transaction. When that does happen, it's not seen well within the community, he said.
"Most people don't agree with it," he said.
Police learned of the deal in mid-December, when Martinez reported his daughter as a runaway. Further investigation found the girl had not fled but moved in with Galindo as part of the marriage arrangement. Grebmeier said the girl was a willing party to the deal.
Martinez would face at least a year in prison if convicted. Because he's an undocumented immigrant, he's under an immigration hold and is not eligible for bail.
© MMIX, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 55 CommentsYou have opened a can of worms and now you are going to reep what you have sown!
Posted by DaVicar3
No the rule here must be that if you want to be here, come legally and follow the laws or accept the punishment as everyone else. Why should this guy be treated any differently, or better than we are? Should he be allowed more freedom than the tax payers of this country? No way!
Posted by messiahx4eve at 05:03 AM : Jan 14, 2009
Ah come on-leave the Republicans alone-they''ve got enough trouble with the economy and losing the election.
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mrs_zambesi
Quiet you liberal! Illegal aliens mow our lawns, pick our fruit, and pilot space shuttles for cheap wages! I say that outweighs your meaningless concerns.
Moron, its the "neoconservatives" that are anti-immigrant, and Bush who cut off spending more money to erect the wall...stop blamimg everything on the liberals. Obviously, neocons lost the election by a landslide. You should be on your knees thanking Sarah Palin for a wonderful job of idiocy she did.
I would think that they would be all over this story as yet another example of racism on the part of the gringos...
We, the citizens of America, are required by our laws/laws and regulations to abide by them or expect the worst from the bed with the good bye medicine or a jail of some nature.
I do not think you are that stupid I think you are with the illegals wishing to over write/ride our laws by a alarge invasion of criminal illegal aliens. To make it your natin without firing a bullet and so for with the president politicians you might just do that but the fact I am 71 it will not happen in my life time. Frank
They use our resources, our government programs, and thumb their noses at our laws and customs. Only in America could this be acceptable behavior.
Illegals are over-running our nation and anyone who speaks out against such things are called racists. Only in America could this be acceptable.
No other nation would allow such things to happen. Only in America could this be acceptable. I say, SEND THEM ALL BACK WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
Come here legally and I will accept you with open arms. Learn our language, culture, customs and laws. Come here illegally and I want you out. Only in America is that UNACCEPTABLE.
He hesitated to say the girl was being sold into marriage, as the money was intended as a dowry and the beer and meat were for the wedding. But, he added, the arrangement violates California law, where the age of consent for marriage is 18, and with parental approval, 16. **** If this marriage arrangement took place in Mexico... then there would be no problem... If you live in the USA, specifically California... you must respect California laws... If that guy wants to sell his 14 year old daughter, he needs to move back to mexico!
Posted by surreal64 at 09:05 AM : Jan 14, 2009
*** That is why I voted for Obama! Rather than Amnesty Mccain who wants to give over 20 million illegal latinos amnesty....
Come here legally and I will accept you with open arms. Learn our language, culture, customs and laws. Come here illegally and I want you out. Only in America is that UNACCEPTABLE.
Posted by psk123 at 10:43 AM : Jan 14, 2009
**** That is why me and alot of friends I know voted for Obama... Obama says that for anyone to get citizenship, they have to return back where they came from AND get in line behind anyone else. No amnesty for illegals.. Amnesty Mccain wanted to let all the illegals get amnesty! That is why Amnesty Mccain lost in a landslide...
*** You rich businesses owners would have to pay me more money to pick fruit and mow lawns... and since the illegals do it for so much cheaper, that could be Americans working those jobs... but you corporate types are why this economy is where it is... if you would pony up the bucks and pay americans rather than saving money and highering illegals, we would have a great economy... We need to arrest you law breakers that hire illegals.. they are illegally here, but you are also highering them illegally!
Posted by ibsteve2u at 09:46 AM : Jan 14, 2009
*** Why do you think it is racist just to expect people to actually follow our immigration laws??? If people enter our country ILLEGALLY... they are ILLEGALLY here... they need to go back.. that is the law. There is no racism to it. I don''t care if someone comes here illegally from Mexico or Canada.. if they came illegally, they need to go back.. It isn''t racist, it is about following our laws!
Posted by mrs_zambesi
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Easy Mrs. Premise, no one is going to come take your landscaper out of your bed and away from your heaving, sweat soaked flesh...........not yet anyway!
Posted by IndepTex at 10:56 AM : Jan 14, 2009
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This is probably the most intelligent response I have EVER read to ms_premise.
Touchet''
Posted by auscross1277 at 10:43 AM : Jan 14, 2009
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Your recommendation sounds reasonable at first glance, BUT he would only move back here with his daughter and future son-in-law where, once aqain, the act would be illegal. Problem not solved.
Read the last sentence of the article.
Now who''s the racist?
BTW, I was born in this country, so therefore, a native.
Now who''''s the racist?
BTW, I was born in this country, so therefore, a native.
Posted by slim1h2o
Wooops, I stand corrected even though it says "undocumented" and not "illegal". But my error doesn''t make me a racist - that''s pretty silly. By native, I meant indigenous and my point was most of us trace our roots to outside the borders of the USA. As for this story, the issue is the failure of the Triques to acclimate their cultural ways to this country. The man clearly knew better as evidenced by his missing person report. I think it''s important to note the work of the Binational center to address these and other cultural and legal differences. I also strongly support a pre-requisite for immigration to include the english language and an undertsanding of our laws.
Posted by iCi2i at 11:52 AM : Jan 14, 2009
Undocumented: PC for Illegal Alien / Illegal immigrant
www.SurviveIran.com
With some estimates as high as 20 Million illegal Mexicans in America today (which would mean that illegals outnumber legally immigrated Mexicans) it just saves time to lump them all into one category.
Posted by DaVicar3 at 12:26 PM : Jan 14, 2009
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What about the ones who were born hee legally with legal parents and grandparents who faught in WWI and WWI and possibly the civil war? How many of them are there that are here legally?
Well, poor excuse!! Looks like they shouldn''t have been here!!! Learn the laws where you''re going to live, especially if you''re coming from a foreign country. Could you imagine if an American moved to another country and broke the law, no mercy.
No coercion? Did you ask the girl?
"This is the garbage that the liberal freaks wantto have, illegals selling their kids in this country...wake up and see the writing on the wall you moronic libs!" Posted by libsareturds
Right, you know good and well that if you thought you could get away with it, you would be in line, cash and meat in hand, to buy your own slave.
"Try hime and if convicted deport him, if not convicted deport him." Posted by endurorob
Hey you reading challenged, you missed this sentence;
"Martinez is a member of an indigenous Mexican Trique community..."
Look up the word "indigenous", it means they were probably here before your ancestors were cleansed from the jails of Europe.
You obviously do not know many Mexican-Americans.
the Father showed poor judgement in sending her off before collecting the goodies for the Fiesta.
You have GOT to be kidding. How many Americans are really going to go out in 100+ degree heat with no shade and fight off the wasps to pick grapes? Any idea what it''s like picking cotton? Most Americans would consider it beneath them, though I think it would be very entertaining watching the guys with their jeans 5 sizes too big hanging half-way down their butts try to walk down a row, let alone pick a fruit.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Posted by cdegolier at 01:32 PM : Jan 14, 2009
Hey, me too! See you in the fields next harvest!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Posted by DaVicar3 at 02:20 PM : Jan 14, 2009
For someone with a name like DaVicar3, you play devil''s advocate ALOT. LOL.
Posted by wolf77creek at 02:32 PM : Jan 14, 2009
Many people come here for better opportunities, not so they can live/eat/dress/worship/watch tv/look/play golf just like you. Some immigrants come here with beautiful cultures of their own that they can share with us. Changing to be just like us is not necessarily a change "for the better". Why not argue that when the Pilgrims came to the New World they should have started living exactly like the Native Americans? Perhaps we shouldn''t have restaurants serving Italian food, or Chinese food, Japanese, no curry, either. I hope you don''t eat bagels for breakfast. I don''t think those were invented in America. We also need to get rid of all music with foreign influences. I think that pretty much leaves us with Country & Western, so I won''t be listening to music anymore. Dancing... The polka is right out. Salsa dancing, out...Too bad. That was fun to watch.
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Posted by beentheir1 at 03:19 PM : Jan 14,
This was never Mexican land. They stole it from the Indians. We stole it back. The only ones that have a legitimate claim on this land is the Indians.
Cheers, loved your comment!
In general, I do not endorse allowing immigrants (legal or otherwise) to follow traditions that actually break US laws, *especially in cases where harm comes to another*. In this case, as the girl was only 14, the argument can be made that the custom harmed her, though others might disagree. In contrast, I would point to the use of peyote by some Native Americans for religious purposes. In that case, I support an exception to the law. Obviously, no other party is involved in that case.
Next, sanction for femal circumsion.
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