Former Dona Ana County deputy sentenced to nine years in prison for sexual assault while on duty

DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — A former Dona Ana County sheriff's deputy was sentenced to nine years in prison after sexually assaulting a woman while on duty in 2023.

Michael Andrew Martinez, a former Dona Ana County sheriff's deputy, was sentenced to nine years in prison on two counts, including tampering with a police officer and destruction of evidence.

The charges date back to 2023, when Martinez kidnapped and sexually assaulted a woman while on duty.

According to court records from the time, Martinez responded to reports of an accident at the intersection of Snow Road and Mesilla Road in Doña Ana County.

When he arrived, he found two women – one of whom was the victim – standing next to a car that had crashed into a tree.

Martinez arrested the victim for drunk driving and reckless driving.

He took the victim to the sheriff's office to perform a breathalyzer test and then turned her back over to his patrol unit to be booked into the Dona Ana County Jail.

Some time later, Martinez reported to his colleagues that there had been damage inside his patrol unit.

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However, when investigators searched the apartment, they found no evidence of a violent break-in.

Rather, the only thing missing was Martinez's body camera.

The body camera was subsequently found and its footage showed the victim in the back seat of the car.

Additionally, footage taken from inside the patrol unit showed Martinez damaging the interior of his vehicle.

Martinez was released from DACSO on August 31, 2023.

RELATED:Former Doña Ana County deputy charged with sexually abusing woman in sheriff's unit

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