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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State Fast Facts California Learn about the people, economy and geography.
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Fast Facts Mexico Learn about the people, economy and history.
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 54 CommentsIllegal alien invaders? Oh, sorry. ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS! I think I played that game on Atari when I was a kid.
Invaders? This brings to mind Mongol hordes, Visigoths, fierce Norsemen attacking from the sea. If that''s what illegal immigration looks like in your neighborhood, I''m glad I don''t live there. Good luck with that.
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Posted by junglejimy12 at 07:30 AM : Jan 15, 2009
Which laws have been changed to suit foreigners?
Posted by junglejimy12 at 07:30 AM : Jan 15, 2009
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Wouldn''t everyone be following the Red Indian traditions then? We can have a powwow about that.
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Posted by brianbwb at 12:36 PM : Jan 14, 2009
You forgot to mention the beer. Gotta have beer.
Next, sanction for femal circumsion.
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.
Cheers, loved your comment!
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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.
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------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 cdegolier at 01:32 PM : Jan 14, 2009
Hey, me too! See you in the fields next harvest!
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.
the Father showed poor judgement in sending her off before collecting the goodies for the Fiesta.
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See all 54 Comments