Houston man convicted of attempted murder of two girls after sexually assaulting them

HOUSTON – A Houston man was sentenced to life in prison this week after pleading guilty to sexually abusing two young girls and attempting to kill them to silence them.

Jose Orbin Martinez-Lopez, 46, of Honduras, has been charged in Harris County with aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 14, according to District Attorney Kim Ogg.

According to court documents, Martinez-Lopez broke into a home in southwest Houston on September 10, 2020, through a small window. Once inside the house, he attacked two sisters, ages 11 and 12. According to authorities, Martinez-Lopez slit the throat of one of the girls with a box cutter. When her sister tried to intervene, he locked both girls in a room and set fire to the house before disappearing.

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Both girls survived the attack and were rescued by emergency responders. Houston Police investigators learned that Martinez-Lopez knew the family and had been to their home on multiple occasions. The girls told family members that the 46-year-old had sexually assaulted them on multiple occasions before and that he broke into the home to kill them after they told family members what had happened.

Police said Martinez-Lopez was planning to flee to Honduras but was arrested when he tried to book another flight after missing his first one. He was being held on $1 million bail.

Martinez-Lopez pleaded guilty to the charges during a court hearing in May. At his sentencing on Tuesday, both girls testified against him and told the judge about their traumatic experiences.

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Martinez-Lopez was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of appeal.

Denise Nichols, chief of the district attorney's crimes against children unit, who prosecuted the case with Chief of Investigation Katlin Robinson, called the case one of the worst she has seen in her 24-year career. “After learning everything these girls went through, it's just incredible to see how much courage they had – this was their moment to tell what happened, get justice and move on.”

Martinez-Lopez must spend at least 30 years in prison before she can be released on parole.