Justin Sayers 3:17 p.m. EDT July 26, 2016

Louisville Metro Police arrested an Indianapolis man Monday and charged him with murder in the death of his girlfriend's 21-month-old child in 2008.

Mauricio Martinez, 29, was with his girlfriend and her 21-month-old daughter on Jan 25., 2008, when the girl suffered blunt force trauma, according to court documents released Tuesday. She was brought to Kosair Children's Hospital where she died from her injuries.

An autopsy determined that the girl suffered multiple internal injuries to her abdomen, along with bruising and rib fractures, police said. Her death was ruled a homicide.

An arrest warrant for Martinez said that he and his girlfriend caused the girl's death and/or had a legal duty to prevent the commission of the offense, but failed to make a proper effort to do so. The girlfriend's identity was not disclosed in the documents.

Courier-Journal archives show that 21-month-old Christina Lopez was beaten to death on Jan. 25, 2008, in the 400 block of Wilberforce Court in the Beecher Terrace neighborhood. Emergency Medical Services were called around 9:30 a.m. She was pronounced dead at the hospital a little after 10 a.m.

A police spokesman said at the time that detectives were interviewing the girl's family to determine what happened. The crime was listed as an unsolved homicide on Louisville Metro Police Department's website, as of Tuesday morning.

Police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said Tuesday afternoon that more evidence as a result of new technology allowed the department to bring charges to Martinez in the cold case. He declined to go into specifics.

The ability to solve cold cases depends on the amount of information gathered over the years, Mitchell said.

"Our goal is to always find the person or persons responsible," he said. "Even though it's solved later, it's still justice."

The arrest warrant was generated on Thursday and served to Martinez, who was in custody in Indianapolis on immigration-related charges, Mitchell said. The investigation is still considered open and ongoing.

Martinez was arrested around 10:30 a.m. Monday in the 600 block of South Seventh Street, which is the address for Louisville Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, court records show. He was charged with complicity murder and contempt of court.

Jail records show that an immigration detainer was requested for Martinez. Detainers, also known as immigration holds, are typically requested by federal officials as they decide whether to take the individual into federal custody for removal purposes. Per federal law, immigration detainers expire after 48 hours.

Martinez pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in Jefferson County District Court on Tuesday, court records show. He is being held in Metro Corrections on a $250,000 cash bond.

http://www.courier-journal.com/story...dler/87559480/