Arizona man starved son, 6, to death. Now he will spend life in prison after 18lb boy was locked in cupboard for month
Court was told that Anthony Jose Achibeque-Martinez punished youngster for ‘stealing’ food at night
An Arizona man will spend the rest of his life in prison over the role he played in the death of his six-year-old son.
Anthony Jose Achibeque-Martinez, 28, was handed the sentence on Friday by a judge in Coconino County, Arizona after he was convicted of first-degree murder. Deshaun Martinez was 18 pounds when he was found dead in 2020. His older sibling narrowly escaped the abuse.
The child’s mother, Elizabeth Archibeque-Martinez, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and child abuse and was sentenced in July 2023 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
According to police, the boy and his seven-year-old brother were locked in a small bedroom closet for 16 hours a day for over a month as punishment for stealing food at night while their parents slept.
The boy’s grandmother, Ann Martinez, called 911 after she found the boy unresponsive. She was also prosecuted in the case. This week, she changed her plea to guilty for manslaughter and attempted child abuse, according to AZ Family.
Two younger female children in the home were not abused. Police have not released the identities of the pair’s other children.
The child’s parents said that a medical condition contributed to their son’s malnourished state after he had been ingesting diet pills for several weeks.
Anthony Martinez was given another 68 years for additional charges including child abuse and kidnapping.