Flagstaff – Three people have been arrested by Flagstaff Police for the first-degree murder of a six-year-old boy who was apparently starved to death.
The boy’s father Anthony Jose Archibeque-Martinez, age 23, and mother, Elizabeth Archibeque-Martinez, age 26, and his grandmother, Ann Marie Martinez, age 50, were all charged with First Degree Felony Homicide and two counts of Child Abuse.
According to Flagstaff Police, at about 12:30 p.m., on Monday, March 2, Flagstaff Police responded to the family’s home in 3100 block of N. Monte Vista Drive regarding an unresponsive child. Officers arrived and immediately began life-saving efforts but were not able to resuscitate the child.
Flagstaff Police detectives found that the child appeared malnourished. They found no obvious signs of trauma on the child.
The parents admitted to detectives that the dead boy and his 7-year-old brother, who also appears malnourished, were kept in the bedroom closet and denied food at times. Both admitted that the two boys were kept in the closet because they were stealing food, by sneaking out at night when the parents slept. Both parents estimated the kids have been kept in the closet for about one month.
The grandmother admitted she was aware of abuse and admitted to disciplining the children when they stole food.
The Department of Child Safety personnel took custody of three siblings, ages seven, four, and two.