Nearly a year ago, on September 12, 2004 at 1:20 a.m., Mariano Martinez drove on Avenue 232 with a blood alcohol level over two and half times the legal limit. Martinez was weaving heavily with his high beams on when he slammed into an on-coming vehicle occupied by four local Tulare residents: Gustavo Gonzales, Zenida Salazar, Arturo Medrano, and Raquel Medrano. Gustavo Gonzales, 66, and Zenida Salazar, 55, died as a result of the collision. Arturo Medrano sustained two broken legs, as well as serious internal injuries. At the time of the collision, Martinez had another DUI case pending in Fresno.

The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office immediately filed a felony complaint against Martinez. After months of vigorous prosecution from the District Attorney’s Felony DUI unit in conjunction with the California Highway Patrol’s thorough investigation, Martinez pled no contest to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and one count of driving under the influence causing great bodily injury. Today, September 27, 2005, Tulare County Superior Court Judge Juliet Boccone, sentenced the 28-year-old Fresno resident to the near maximum term of 16 years and 8 months in state prison.

The victims and family members of Gustavo Gonzales and Zenida Salazar at the sentencing and expressed their outrage and frustration over Martinez’s heartless and selfish actions. In addition, the friends and family also provided moving statements concerning their overwhelming pain and grief in coping with the sudden loss of two well-loved family members.


The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Mike Moberly and Paul T. Greco of the Felony DUI unit under the Driving Impaired Prosecution Program.

Contact Person: Assistant District Attorney Carol Turner, 733-6411.