The breakthrough in the investigation came when authorities allegedly identified school bus driver Martinez through DNA taken from a steering wheel.
A school bus driver, Ralph Anthony Martinez, 61, employed by Albuquerque Public Schools, has been arrested in connection to multiple cold case sexual assaults dating back to 1988, 1989, and 1991
According to the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office in New Mexico, school bus driver Martinez is a suspect in several cold case sexual assaults. School bus driver Martinez was hired by Albuquerque Public Schools in 2018, but following his arrest, he has been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Prosecutors claim that tests revealed a match between the DNA found on the steering wheel and the DNA collected from the sexual assaults over three decades ago. The alleged incidents include a 1988 home invasion where school bus driver Martinez reportedly raped a 19-year-old woman at knifepoint and a 1989 case involving the rape of a 59-year-old woman.
In 1991, school bus driver Martinez was accused of raping two women within a short period of time
Per jail records, he is currently facing four charges of second-degree criminal sexual penetration (deadly weapon).
Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman emphasized their commitment to holding Martinez fully accountable under the law. The school district and local authorities are working together to ensure a thorough investigation into these cold cases, providing justice to the victims after all these years.
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