Grand jury: Man molested children at his home

Published 11:15 am Wednesday, May 14, 2014

By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

A 58-year-old Alabaster man has been indicted on two felony charges of sexual abuse of a child younger than 12 after allegedly molesting two young girls his wife was caring for at his home.

Rios-Martinez

Rios-Martinez

Elijio Rios-Martinez, who lists a residence on Kent Dairy Road in Alabaster, is scheduled to appear at the Shelby County Courthouse on June 10 to be arraigned on the two charges, which each are Class B felonies. If convicted of the crimes, Rios-Martinez faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count.

According to Alabaster police, Rios-Martinez’s wife frequently cared for children in their home in the 1600 block of Kent Dairy Road, and two girls reported being molested by Rios-Martinez while at his house. Police arrested Rios-Martinez on July 2, 2013, after the girls’ mother reported the alleged abuse to officers, Alabaster Police Chief Curtis Rigney said previously.

According to documents filed by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office with Rios-Martinez’s arrest warrants, the alleged abuse “occurred over a three-month time span on numerous occasions.” The District Attorney’s Office also claimed the “defendant poses a danger to the public at large,” and “has family in Mexico, Texas and Idaho, and is a flight risk.”

Rios-Martinez has remained in the Shelby County Jail on bonds totaling $200,000 since his arrest.