Jesus Arturo Guerrero-Martinez, a 30-year-old Arizona man, is facing serious charges after allegedly strangling his girlfriend multiple times, including once while she was being watched, and threatening her with a fake weapon. Guerrero-Martinez was arrested on April 30, following an investigation by the Tucson Police Department.
The Incident
The confrontation began when Guerrero-Martinez accused his girlfriend of attempting to break his laptop, according to an interim complaint obtained by local Tucson affiliates KOLD and KVOA. The woman had borrowed the laptop to watch a movie but returned it to avoid a fight. Despite this, the argument escalated.
As the woman was returning to the living room, Guerrero-Martinez allegedly grabbed her by the throat and dragged her into the bedroom. Once inside, he reportedly threw her onto the bed, got on top of her, and began strangling her using both his hands and forearm.
The Strangulation and the Mother’s Intervention
Amid the strangulation, the woman managed to call her mother via FaceTime. Her mother saw the attack and immediately drove to the apartment to intervene. The victim also told police that Guerrero-Martinez repeatedly hit her in the face during the assault.
Eventually, the woman managed to break free and flee the bedroom. However, as she escaped, Guerrero-Martinez allegedly pulled out what appeared to be a gun and threatened her. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the weapon was actually a metal flashlight designed to simulate a firearm, as per the results of a search warrant executed by law enforcement.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
Guerrero-Martinez faces multiple serious charges, including:
- Two counts of domestic violence aggravated assault
- One count of kidnapping
- One count of aggravated assault with a simulated weapon
During his court appearance later that same night, prosecutors highlighted that Guerrero-Martinez had a history of threatening and attempting to kill the victim, including previous incidents of strangulation. Despite these allegations, Guerrero-Martinez chose to remain silent, and his defense attorney spoke on his behalf.
The defendant is currently being held at the Pima County Adult Detention Center on a $150,000 bond.
