BENTONVILLE -- A local circuit judge ordered a Texas man accused of fracturing the skull of his 3-month-old daughter to be held on a cash-only, $500,000 bond in the Benton County jail.
Judge Robin Green held a bond hearing Friday for Eduardo Martinez, who is charged with domestic battery, a Class Y felony that is punishable by a prison sentence ranging from 10-40 years or life imprisonment. He previously pleaded innocent to the charge.
U.S. Marshals arrested Martinez on July 27, 2020, in Florida and returned him to Benton County, according to court documents.
Martinez, 33, of Houston was free on $250,000 bond, records show. He failed to appear for a hearing Oct. 18 and his jury trial the next day, according to reports.
Joshua Robinson, deputy prosecutor, told the judge that Martinez was arrested again in New York's Suffolk County on a robbery charge Nov. 24. Robinson said a prosecutor told him the case had been resolved with a misdemeanor plea.
Benton County sheriff's office deputies brought him back to Arkansas. He was booked into the Benton County jail at 12:53 a.m. Friday.
Robinson described Martinez as a flight risk and recommended a $500,000 cash-only bond. The judge agreed with that recommendation.
On July 17, 2020, Bentonville Emergency Communications received a 911 call at 2:54 p.m. from Martinez reporting that his infant daughter was unresponsive. He said the baby had fallen asleep with him on the couch, and he didn't know what happened to her, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The child was taken by ambulance to Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville, according to the affidavit.
The medical staff told police that the child suffered a skull fracture on the right side of her head and had bleeding in her brain, the affidavit said. They also noted bruises on her body, according to the affidavit.
Estella Grullon, the girl's mother, told police that she left Martinez alone with their daughter, and Martinez called her at 2:45 p.m. and told her the baby was acting strange and her face was turning purple, according to the affidavit. Grullon said she told Martinez to call 911 and request an ambulance.
Police reported that they believe the girl was injured when Martinez was alone with her. Martinez denied injuring his daughter when he was questioned by officers, according to the affidavit.
The girl was transferred to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock.
Dr. Rachel Clingenpeel at Children's Hospital told police that the child's injuries were caused by violent force, the affidavit says. Clingenpeel said the baby will have some degree of permanent brain injury, according to the affidavit.
Martinez is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 7 for a pretrial hearing.