Adrian Tovar Martinez is believed to have committed multiple sexual crimes against victims in Aransas Pass, San Patricio County and Houston.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Adrian Tovar Martinez, who authorities say is a serial rapist, received a stacked double life sentence Tuesday, according to the Aransas County Attorney’s Office.
He was convicted for the brutal attack and rape of a woman who was walking down a street in Aransas Pass in October 2013.
In that attack, police said a female victim told authorities Martinez attempted to make small talk with her before hitting her in the head from behind causing her to fall. Once she was on the ground, the defendant dragged her to a remote part of a field and sexually assaulted her. She attempted to fight back by scratching him repeatedly in an effort to get his DNA under her fingernails.
When she fought back, she said Martinez would bite her, hit her, and threaten to kill her. After the assault, the defendant told the victim that if she told law enforcement, she would be killed.
When she was able to get away, she made it to a Stripes where the clerk called 911. At the Stripes, law enforcement took several photos of her injuries, which included injuries to her face, neck, chest, back, knee, and shoulders. She had torn clothing and blood on her clothing. At the time of the assault, the defendant’s identity was unknown, and he was a stranger to the victim.
Martinez was also sentenced for aggravated sexual assault and one 10-year sentence for the offense of obstruction/retaliation. Judge Patrick Flanigan ordered the life sentences to be stacked on top of a prior 20-year sentence that the defendant received in San Patricio County for another sexual assault involving a different victim.
Law enforcement was able to locate the scene of the assault and found the victim’s socks, the Martinez’s underwear, and the victim’s knife that she attempted to use to defend herself. She was also able to describe a grim reaper tattoo found on the defendant’s body and helped generate a composite sketch for what the attacker looked like.
The victim was taken to the hospital where a sexual assault exam was performed, and various samples were taken from her body. When the samples were tested in 2013, the DNA that was collected from various parts of S.H.’s body, including under her fingernails, contained the DNA of an unknown male.
The Aransas County DA said that for many years, the case was in limbo as law enforcement followed up with multiple suspects in the case. All of them were ruled out due to their DNA not matching the DNA found on the victim. Meanwhile, authorities believed the he was committing other sexual assaults in the San Patricio County and Houston.
In 2020, it was revealed that the unknown male DNA in those cases matched the unknown DNA in her case.
In 2021, there was a break in the case which pointed detectives to the defendant. In 2021, the defendant’s DNA was taken and sent to DPS for comparison. It matched the DNA in S.H.’s case and the San Patricio case. Houston did not (and still has not) made the attempt to match the defendant’s DNA to the sexual assault kits for their victims.
The Aransas Pass victim’s case was indicted in 2022. The defendant was appointed an attorney who delayed the case for two and a half years and then withdrew from the case. A new attorney was appointed in June of 2024.
The State also put one of the Houston victims on the stand to testify. That woman testified that she was at home one night when the defendant broke into her apartment and sexually assaulted her when her four-year-old son was at home. During the assault, she testified that she attempted to run away, but the defendant grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back inside the apartment. During the assault, she stated the defendant continued to bite her and strike her with his hand.
After hearing all the testimony, Judge Flanigan sentenced the defendant to the maximum in each count and ordered the sentences run consecutive to the 20-year sentence the defendant is already serving.
The Aransas County Attorney’s Office shared photographs of the defendant’s tattoos in the hopes that it will generate leads in other cases. We would like to thank the Aransas Pass Police Department, the bravery of the victims and the Houston Forensic Science Center.