Pine Hill Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Abuse Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE – Harold Martinez, 32, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Pine Hill, N.M., was sentenced today for his child abuse conviction.  Martinez will serve a prison sentence of 16 months followed by a year of supervised release.

Martinez was arrested on Nov. 26, 2013, on a criminal complaint alleging assault charges.  According to the criminal complaint, on June 11, 2013, Martinez initiated a physical confrontation with another Navajo man.  After the victim got into his vehicle in an effort to get away from Martinez, Martinez rammed his own vehicle into the victim’s vehicle several times.  Two young boys were in Martinez’s vehicle when he rammed it into the victim’s vehicle.

On March 11, 2014, Martinez entered a guilty plea to a child abuse charge and admitted that on June 11, 2013, he deliberately drove his vehicle into another vehicle without justification.  Martinez also admitted that two unrestrained children were in the vehicle he was driving and that by ramming into another vehicle he placed the children in a situation that endangered their lives or health.  The children however were not injured.

This case was investigated by the Ramah Navajo Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob A. Wishard.