Staff Report
Los Alamos County Facilities Manager Vicente Martinez, date of birth (DOB) 1980, has been charged with five criminal counts in an incident in Ranchos De Taos that resulted in great bodily injury to Adelio Issac Fernandez, DOB 1970, and the death of his brother Abraham Fernandez, DOB 1972.
Martinez is facing the following:
- Count #1 – Murder in the 1st degree (willful and deliberate);
- Count #2 – Aggravated battery (use of a deadly weapon);
- Count #3 – Aggravated battery (use of a deadly weapon);
- Count #4 – Aggravated assault (use of a deadly weapon); and
- Count #5 – Aggravated assault (use of a deadly weapon).
According to the incident report provided by the Taos County Sheriff’s Office to the Los Alamos Daily Post, sheriff’s deputies responded at approximately 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, to a call of a battery after the fact at #97 Romero Lane in Ranchos De Taos in Taos County. Martinez, Adelio, and another man were standing along the dirt road. Abraham was lying on the ground.
Martinez told a deputy at the scene that there was a history of verbal altercation between his family and the Fernandez brothers’ families dating back several years, according to the report. Driving his vehicle, Martinez encountered the brothers on the day of the incident standing near their property … an argument broke out, shouting ensued, punches were thrown, and Martinez stabbed the brothers in their ears.
The execution of a search warrant at a home uncovered clothes that appeared to contain blood stains in the washing machine, rags near the kitchen sink that appeared to contain blood stains, a Swiss army knife that appeared to contain dried blood throughout the inside of the knife, and on a Phillips screw driver attachment with the knife. The report states that these findings are consistent with the injuries sustained by both Fernandez brothers during the course of the incident.
Martinez is being held in jail without bond pending a hearing expected to take place today.
A Los Alamos County spokesperson confirmed to the Post that Martinez was employed by the County as facilities manager, but could not comment further as this is a personnel matter.