A Green River man accused of hitting his daughter with a belt pleaded not guilty to child abuse.
Ivan Jason Martinez appeared in the Third District Court of Judge Nena James at an arraignment to a felony charge of child abuse.
If found guilty of the felony, Martinez could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.
According to court documents, on May 5, 2015, the Green River Police Department received an anonymous report of suspected child abuse.
A GRPD officer took information from the anonymous person that an 11-year-old girl was being physically abused by her father, Ivan. The person stated she believed the mother had photos of this abuse on her cell phone. This person also reported she thought the mother was too frightened to notify police because of Ivan’s previous threats to her, which this person claimed included death threats.
An officer then conducted a welfare check on Ivan’s daughter while she was at school. This officer noticed bruises on several areas of her body, including legs, arms and face. Photos of those bruises were taken. All of the bruises had the same type of linear pattern, the document states. During the interview with the daughter, she told the officer her father had come into her room on May 2 around 9 p.m. because he was angry with her for not finishing her chores. She said he turned the light on and started calling her names. Ivan then left the bedroom, but returned with his belt. She said he “freaked out” and allegedly began hitting her. She backed away, but he allegedly continued to hit her. She said he allegedly hit her in the arms, face and legs. The girl told the officer her mother was not home at the time, but when she did get home they got into an argument and her dad was so mad he punched two holes in the wall. The daughter also told officers she never feels safe around Ivan because of his anger issues.
An officer talked to the daughter’s mother, Selena Martinez, who said she was not home at the time, but she received a text from her husband around 10 p.m. that night asking her to come home immediately and deal with the daughter. When she arrived home, she and Ivan started arguing and she saw him punch two holes in the wall, but she did not see him hit their daughter.
Selena also told officers Ivan has anger issues and takes prescription medication for that. She said he often becomes angry with the children, but he had never hit them like this before.
Ivan was then interviewed on the phone by an officer and was not cooperative. He said he did not know why this was being investigated and asked if it was “just because I disciplined my kid.” When asked about the belt marks on the daughter’s face, Ivan said she got those marks on her face because she rolled into a ball and his belt hit her face and arm. Ivan was then asked to go to the station to tell his side of the story, but he said “No one will make decisions for my family.” He then told the officer, if they wanted his daughter, they could have her because he was tired of dealing with her. The phone call was then disconnected.
Later that day, an officer once again requested Ivan give a statement; and he seemed calmer this time. He said on May 2, he took all of his daughter’s electronics away, but then discovered her using one of her friends iPods to chat with her friends. He said she refused to give him the iPod, so he allegedly hit her with the belt twice -- once on the butt and one once on her leg.
Ivan told the officer that after the alleged first hit, she must have fell to the ground and the belt must have hit her arms and face. Ivan said he would never hit her in the face intentionally.
He said his daughter has been very difficult to deal with because she kept talking to boys through Facetime and wearing makeup, which she is not allowed to do.
Ivan was asked to bring the belt he allegedly used to strike his daughter with him to the station. He did; and at that time he was arrested.
He got angry for being arrested and told the officer “I wish you would just put her in a foster home.”
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