Affidavit outlines horrifying account of Manzanola mother’s attempt to kill daughters

As two young girls slept in the same bed in their Manzanola home, their mother crept into their room, slipped a pillowcase on their heads, and began stabbing them, setting off a violent spree that ended with their SUV in the Arkansas River.

It was the first violent act of several described in court documents in the case against 33-year-old Christine Martinez. She’s facing charges of attempted first-degree murder after allegedly trying to kill her two daughters in the early morning hours of March 31.

The girls — ages 8 and 10 — survived a horrifying ordeal, and they described to police detectives what happened in the aftermath of a crash over a bridge on Highway 207.

According to Martinez’s arrest affidavit, one of the girls described how Martinez put a pillowcase over her head and began stabbing her in the torso while her sister watched.

One of the girls said she heard her mother say “God told her to kill them,” according to the affidavit. Her sister said she didn’t hear that, but said Martinez looked “sad and mad” while stabbing.

As Martinez was stabbing her daughter, the victim’s sister pled with her to stop, according to the affidavit. But Martinez didn’t stop, and the girl’s sister began crying while she was being stabbed.

Martinez then lit part of their mattress on fire and told the girls “it’s time to go” before loading them into their SUV.

The girls were loaded into the backseat of the SUV, and Martinez told them to “stay down because the cops are coming,” according to the affidavit. They then drove down Highway 207 to the Arkansas River.

Martinez left the road and went down an embankment to a “flood control barrier.” The SUV flew off the ground for about 50 yards and flipped over on its roof with Martinez and her daughters still inside.

Police found the two girls in the back of the SUV, and Martinez was found nearby up the river.

Investigators went to their home and found blood smeared throughout and leading to the bedroom. In the bedroom, there was a mattress on the floor with no bed frame. That’s where investigators found a bloody knife resting on a bloody pillow, and the burnt section of mattress.

The two girls suffered stab wounds, broken bones, and trauma from the crash. According to the affidavit, a doctor said there’s a substantial risk of them being permanently disfigured.

Martinez is facing charges of attempted first-degree murder, assault in the first degree, child abuse and arson.

She is currently being held at the Otero County Detention Facility where she is being held on a $50,000 bond.

Previous Story (By Hanna Knutson)

A Manzanola mother who is suspected of attempting to murder her children was arrested Tuesday.

Christina Martinez, 33, was discharged from the hospital and taken into custody after she allegedly stabbed her two daughters and then drove off a bridge on March 31.

Martinez is facing charges of attempted first-degree murder, assault in the first degree, child abuse and arson.

She is currently being held at the Otero County Detention Facility where she is being held on a $50,000 bond.

The Otero County Sheriff’s Office reports Martinez is suspected of stabbing her daughters (ages 8 and 10) at their home in Manzanola on March 31 and then leaving with them in her SUV.

The crash happened on Highway 207. Martinez was going northbound at the Arkansas River Bridge when the SUV left the road and went into the river. (MAP)

A passerby saw the SUV and called emergency responders who rescued the girls, according to the CBI.

Martinez is scheduled to appear in the Otero County District Court on April 24.