BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
Los Alamos County Personnel Board members held a special meeting Wednesday, March 18 to conduct an Employment Appeal Hearing with Vicente Martinez. Board chair David Hampton, vice chair James Wernicke and members Jennifer Best, Stephanie Haaser and Sarah Hoover first attended training by Attorney Tony Ortiz, on contract to the County, on how to conduct the hearing.
Following the training, the meeting was closed and the proceedings reportedly continued for several hours before board members voted 4-1 to overrule the County’s termination of Martinez, but there was no information available on the measures to be taken going forward. Sources told the Reporter soon after the hearing that Martinez would be returning to work Monday, Mar. 23.
The Reporter reached out to the County Human Resources Manager Thursday asking for the content of the motion voted on in open session at the end of the meeting, but was told she would have to wait until the meeting minutes were approved April 28.
On Friday, March 20, the Reporter reached out to County spokesman Dave Krueger who said HR had provided the most current information.
“My understanding is that there was an open session, then a closed session, and then a very brief open session at the end. As such, there was no recording of the meeting. There was a court reporter present, who is providing transcripts of the open session. Those transcripts will be released once the Personnel Board approves them at the next meeting, which right now looks to be on April 28 (the March 24 meeting was cancelled),” Krueger said.
On Monday morning, the Reporter again reached out to Krueger to know Martinez’s official employment status. This time Krueger responded that. “On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, the Personnel Board voted 4 to 1, in open session, on a motion finding cause for disciplinary action against Vincente Martinez but also found that the County’s proposed termination of Mr. Martinez ‘be modified to lesser discipline…’ (County Personnel Board Motion from March 18, 2026 hearing). As of today, March 23, Mr. Vicente Martinez is an employee”.
Martinez, 45, a facilities manager for the County, was arrested January 21 on a warrant signed by Judge Jeffrey Shannon in connection with the alleged murder January 20 of Abraham Fernandez and wounding of Isaac Fernandez in Llano Quemado, near Taos. Court documents show Martinez’s last known address in Rio Rancho.
Martinez is charged with first degree murder – willful and deliberate – a capital felony; two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon; and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. He is accused of stabbing both brothers in the ear.
In the District Court, Judge Emilio J. Chavez imposed conditions of release for Martinez that included house arrest with permission to travel for work, medical and legal appointments. The order included pre-trial services monitoring at Level 3, which is a high-intensity level of pretrial supervision for defendants released from custody while awaiting trial. Martinez is allowed four hours a week to run errands and deal with “other life necessities” as determined by Pre-Trial Services. He is not allowed to possess any firearms or deadly weapons and is to have no contact, including social media, with witnesses or alleged victims in the case. Martinez is also required to maintain employment.
The Taos County District Attorney’s Office has requested a hearing for Martinez. There has been speculation that the criminal charges will be amended or dropper, however there is no indication of this in court documents.