Houston man convicted attempted to murder two girls after sexually assaulting them
HOUSTON - A Houston man was sentenced to life in prison this week after he pled guilty to sexually assaulting two young girls and attempting to kill them to keep them quiet.
Jose Orbin Martinez-Lopez, 46, from Honduras was faced with an aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 14 charge out of Harris County, according to District Attorney Kim Ogg.
Courty records state on Sept. 10, 2020, Martinez-Lopez broke into a home in southwest Houston through a small window. Once inside, he attacked two sisters, ages 11 and 12. According to authorities, Martinez-Lopez slashed the throat of one of the girls with a box cutter. When her sister attempted to intervene, he locked both girls in a room and set a fire inside the home before leaving.
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Both girls survived the attack and were rescued by first responders. Houston Police Department investigators learned Martinez-Lopez knew the family and had been in their home on multiple occasions. The girls revealed to family members the 46-year-old had sexually assaulted them multiple time before and he broke into the to kill them after they told family members what happened.
According to police, Martinez-Lopez was planning escape to Honduras but was arrested while attempting to book another flight after missing his initial one. He was held on a $1 million bond.
During a court hearing in May, Martinez-Lopez pleaded guilty to the charges. At his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, both girls testified against him, sharing their traumatic experiences in front of the judge.
Martinez-Lopez was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of appeal.
Denise Nichols, Division Chief of the District Attorney’s Crimes Against Children Division, who prosecuted the case alongside Trial Bureau Chief Katlin Robinson, described the case as one of the worst she has encountered in her 24-year career. "After knowing everything that these girls went through, it is just amazing to see how much courage they had — this was their moment to tell what happened and get justice and move forward."
Martinez-Lopez will be required to serve a minimum of 30 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole.