TUCSON, Ariz. - He is charged with killing his stepson -- by holding his head under scalding water.
Investigators say -- he told them he was trying to drive demons out of the child.
31 year old Pablo Martinez was in Federal Court Tuesday.
he case against Pablo Martinez is in Federal Court because the six year old boy we know as only by the initials G.B. was on the Pascua Yaqui Reservation. By treaty with the Pascua Yaqui Nation major crimes there are Federal with the FBI leading many investigations.
Martinez appearance in Tucson Federal Court was our first chance to get a look at him but we will have to simply describe him to you because cameras are not allowed in Federal Court. He walked in wearing a black and white striped jail uniform. He's in his early 30s, of roughly average height. He had dark hair, a dark beard and dark rimmed glasses. He did not really say anything during his appearance. His attorney decided not to argue for release on bond at this point. He said there is still a lot of information to gather yet and he might re-open that request sometime in the future.
The FBI's criminal complaint says when tribal police arrived, "He told the PYPD (Pascua Yaqui Police Department) that they would not understand, and that they were not in the right mindset or belief."
Martinez allegedly told police, “G.B was demonic, had a demon inside of him, and that he needed to save him." and told police he poured hot water down G.B's throat.
The Pascua Yaqui Fire Department took the child to Banner University Medical Center. He was pronounced dead there.
The report says Martinez told police and the FBI the boy had been having fits of rage.
While giving the child a bath he said, "...he saw something evil in G.B. And knew he had to cast the demon out."
He said he held the child's head under the faucet, for five to ten minutes with water running into the boy's mouth and, "...noticed the hot water was casting out the demon."
The report says another child was in the tub too. When that child left the bathroom crying G.B's adoptive mother intervened and called 911.
