Office of the Governor
- Press Office| FOR RELEASE Thursday, May 6, 2004 |
CONTACT: Dan Hopkins - 303-866-6324 Alison Morgan (Colorado Dept. Corrections 303-259-0753) |
(DENVER) – Gov. Bill Owens today announced that Colorado fugitive Gonzalo Martinez is being returned to state custody after being held in a Mexican prison.
When he escaped from a Colorado prison in December 1999, Martinez was serving three consecutive 16-year sentences after being convicted on three counts of attempted murder in Jefferson County.
Owens personally asked Mexico’s Attorney General, Rafael Macedo de la Concha, for assistance in returning Martinez during Owens’s official visit to Mexico in November 2001.
In a follow-up letter in September 2002, Owens said the return of Martinez was “a matter of great importance to me. Mr. Martinez has harmed people in Colorado and presents a danger to all innocent people.”
Owens added that Martinez “is a fugitive of justice and has no ties of which I am aware that would merit granting him asylum in Mexico. Therefore I ask that he be returned to custody to complete the Colorado prison sentence from which he fled to your country.”
Owens said that he greatly appreciated the help and cooperation of the Mexican government and the Mexican Consulate in Denver in returning Martinez to Colorado.
Martinez was one of three violent fugitives who escaped from the Arkansas Valley prison. The other escapees were captured in Colorado.
Martinez (Colorado Department of Corrections #98011) will return to a Colorado prison today. Martinez escaped from the Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility on December 7, 1999 with two other inmates: Allan Lucero (DOC 85066) and Alfredo Serna (DOC 89754). The three inmates breached the double perimeter fence at the facility.
Martinez was known to be in Mexico after the escape. He was subsequently detained by Mexican law enforcement in Juarez, Mexico in August 2002 and then transferred to a federal prison in Mexico City pending extradition proceedings. An investigator with the Colorado Department of Corrections and an agent with the FBI took custody of the inmate this afternoon in Mexico City.
Martinez will return to Colorado from Mexico early this evening. Initially, he will be incarcerated at the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center at 10900 Smith Road in Denver.
Joe Ortiz, Executive Director for the Colorado Department of Corrections stated, “The return of this fugitive to Colorado is a credit to Governor Owens’ efforts to build a strong relationship with Mexico and President Vicente Fox.”
Ortiz also cited the professionalism and dedication of CDOC staff. “The investigators in our Office of Inspector General never gave up their pursuit of this fugitive. All of their hard work paid off today with the return of inmate Martinez to the state’s custody.”
Ortiz noted that many agencies helped with Martinez’ return, including the U.S. Attorney’s office, the FBI, the state Attorney General, U.S. Marshals, U.S. Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, and the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office.
Martinez (DOB 06/20/80) is a 23-year old Hispanic male, 5’4”, weighing 134 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. He was incarcerated in the Colorado Department of Corrections on three 16-year sentences for attempted murder in Jefferson County. Martinez began his incarceration in the CDOC on August 10, 1998 and prior to the 1999 escape would have been parole eligible in the year 2021 with mandatory parole in the year 2045.
Allan Lucero was convicted of first degree murder, life no parole, out of El Paso county in 1994. Lucero was apprehended on December 31, 1999 at motel adjacent to the Colorado Department of Corrections Central Office.
Alfredo Serna was convicted of a 30-year sentence for attempted murder in 1996 out of Denver County. He was apprehended on April 13, 2000 near Virginia and Pecos streets in Denver. Both inmates received 12-year sentences for 1999 escape.
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Note: Photographers will be allowed at the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center at 7 p.m. this evening where Martinez will initially be incarcerated. Contact Alison Morgan for details.
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last modified May 12, 2004
