Mexican immigrant deported 20 times gets 35 years in Portland sex assaults

Sergio Jose Martinez, 31, attacked two women in Portland, Ore., on the same day, authorities say.

An undocumented immigrant, with a history of arrests and deportations, was sentenced to 35 years in prison Friday after his sexual assault conviction earlier this year.

KATU News reported that Mexican national Sergio Jose Martinez, 31, attacked two women in Portland, Ore., on the same day. The first was a 65-year-old whose car he stole, and a younger woman. He was arrested July 24, the report said.

Prior to the attacks, Martinez had been deported 20 times, had a series of probation violations for illegal crossings into the United States and had a felony burglary conviction, KGW.com reported, citing court documents filed in March.

Martinez faced charges of kidnapping, assault, robbery and sodomy, KATU News reported. He was released from Multnomah County Jail last December despite the objection of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.

ICE had asked local authorities to alert the federal agency prior to Martinez's release, the paper reported.

However, the agency told KATU News in July that “local authorities released Mr. Martinez back into the community the following day without providing any notification to ICE.”

Multnomah County (Ore.) Sheriff Mike Reese and county officials penned a letter addressing the issue, saying “the Sheriff's Office does not hold people in county jails on ICE detainers or conduct any immigration enforcement actions,” KGW.com reported.

Martinez’s sentencing came a day after the acquittal of San Francisco murder defendant Jose Inez Garcia Zarate, an undocumented immigrant, in the death of Kate Steinle.