The defendant is being held on a $150,000 bond after his April 30 arrest.
TUCSON, Ariz. — A prosecutor told a court that Jesus Arturo Guerrero-Martinez had previously tried to kill, threaten and strangle the same woman before his latest arrest in a Tucson domestic violence case, authorities said.
The statement came during an early court appearance after Guerrero-Martinez, 30, was arrested April 30 by Tucson police. He is accused of two counts of domestic violence aggravated assault, one count of kidnapping and one count of aggravated assault with a simulated weapon. Police say the latest case began inside an apartment and included a FaceTime call in which the woman’s mother saw part of the alleged attack.
The court hearing placed the reported history between Guerrero-Martinez and the woman at the center of the bond question. Prosecutors often use prior allegations to argue that a defendant poses a continuing threat, and the prosecutor in this case made that point directly. In court, the prosecutor said Guerrero-Martinez “has previously tried to kill the victim, has previously threatened to kill the victim, and has previously strangled the victim.” The public account of the hearing did not include dates for those earlier allegations, and it did not say whether they led to separate charges, convictions or protective orders.
Guerrero-Martinez was later listed as detained at the Pima County Adult Detention Center on a $150,000 bond. He did not present a detailed statement in court, according to the reported account, while his attorney handled the argument for him. The early appearance did not decide guilt or innocence. It set the first public frame for the case, including the charges, the bond amount and the state’s claim that the alleged violence followed an earlier pattern involving the same victim.
Police say the apartment confrontation started with a laptop. The woman told investigators she had the computer because she wanted to watch a movie. Guerrero-Martinez accused her of trying to break it, according to the interim complaint described by local news reports. Police said the woman gave the laptop back because she wanted to avoid a fight. As she returned toward the living room, authorities said Guerrero-Martinez grabbed her throat and dragged her into a bedroom. That alleged movement from one room to another is part of the factual basis for the kidnapping count.
Inside the bedroom, police said, Guerrero-Martinez threw the woman onto a bed, climbed on top of her and strangled her with his hands and forearm. The woman was able to call her mother on FaceTime during the struggle, according to police. The mother later told investigators that she saw Guerrero-Martinez strangling her daughter on the video call, prompting her to drive to the apartment. Police have not publicly said whether the call remained connected until the mother arrived, whether the mother spoke to Guerrero-Martinez during the call or whether the woman was able to describe her location while the call was active.
The woman also told police that Guerrero-Martinez struck her several times in the face. She eventually broke free from the bedroom, according to the complaint. Police said Guerrero-Martinez then displayed what the woman believed was a gun and threatened her. Investigators later said the item was a metal flashlight, not a firearm. The search warrant result became important because the charge describes a simulated weapon rather than a real gun. Police said Guerrero-Martinez denied that the incident happened as the woman described it.
The procedural path now depends on filings by prosecutors and defense counsel. The court must sort allegations from evidence, including the woman’s statement, her mother’s account, any injury documentation, any body camera footage, the search warrant return and the object police say was used to simulate a gun. The complaint described by local reports gives the first version of the facts, but later proceedings could add new details or narrow the charges. It remains unknown whether prosecutors will present the case to a grand jury, amend the charges or seek additional restrictions while the case is pending.
The location of the case also matters because the Pima County jail serves Tucson and other agencies across the metropolitan area. Jail records and court records can change quickly after an arrest as hearings are scheduled, bond terms are reviewed and defendants make release requests. As of the reported account, Guerrero-Martinez remained in custody. The woman’s condition, any medical treatment and the exact timeline between the call to her mother and the arrival of police have not been publicly detailed.
The case stands at an early stage, with the defendant held on bond and the state relying on allegations from the victim, a witness who saw the attack by phone and evidence seized through a warrant. Guerrero-Martinez is presumed innocent unless convicted.
Author note: Last updated May 23, 2026.