ALAMOSA — Robert Martinez, 32, of Alamosa has been sentenced to serve a total of 50 years in the Department of Corrections (DOC), including 34 years for the 2nd-degree murder of Mathias Fritz, 40, and 16 years for the assault with a deadly weapon of Alma Salazar, 36. The prison sentences will be served consecutively. The crimes for which Martinez pled guilty took place in the early morning hours of August 9, 2018 at Mr. Fritz's residence in Alamosa.

The sentence is the result of a plea agreement reached between the DA’s office and David Lipka, defense counsel for Mr. Martinez. In exchange for Martinez’s guilty plea, the DA agreed to dismiss the original charges of 1st-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree and felony menacing. Three other charges filed in Rio Grande County were also dismissed. Martinez will also get credit for time spent in jail, which totals 963 days or, roughly, 2.5 years.

The sentence passed down by Chief Judge Michael Gonzales in Robert Martinez’s case was what was recommended by the DA’s office. At the plea hearing, Ms. Salazar and a representative of Mr. Fritz's family both stated to the judge that they had no objections to the sentence.

In jury trials, there is always the possibility of an appeal. However, entering a plea of guilty has made the case non-appealable.

When a person is eligible for parole is up to the Department of Corrections to decide. Crimes of violence, as are the crimes Martinez pled guilty to committing, typically guarantee that a person will serve at least 75% of the time for which he is sentenced. If that holds true with Mr. Martinez, who is currently 32 years old, he will not be eligible for parole until he is 67 years old. Also, due to the nature of crimes, he will be on mandatory parole for another 8 years after his release.

The crime Martinez pled guilty to committing was a particularly brutal home invasion where he and two other men forced their way into Mathias Fritz’s apartment. According to court documents, Ms. Salazar was shot in the face and Mr. Fritz suffered fractures in his skull, causing severe brain trauma, before being shot in the head.

Shawndon McVey, one of the two men who was with Mr. Martinez that night, is currently incarcerated. Shem Brown, the second individual, is scheduled for a plea hearing in the case on August 17.

The resolution reached with the DA for the 12th Judicial District does not apply to other charges Mr. Martinez is facing in Chaffee County.