Man Sells Daughter For Meat

by Amy Hatch (Subscribe to Amy Hatch's posts) Jan 14th 2009 9:00AM

Times are tough, my friends, but not this tough.

A Greenfield, Calif. man allegedly sold his 14-year-old daughter into marriage in exchange for cash and -- get this -- meat. The man supposedly bartered the girl for $16,000, 100 cases of beer and some meat. Police arrested Marcelino de Jesus Martinez, 36, on suspicion of human trafficking. The 18-year-old, Margarito de Jesus Galindo, who "bought" the teen has also been arrested, on charges of statutory rape.

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But wait! That isn't all! The dad called the cops on the guy he sold his kid to, complaining that the dude never paid up. Then he asked police to help him get the girl back.

While the girl claims she went "willingly" with the man, who is also her neighbor, California law dictates that she is too young to consent to the union. And no, this wasn't an arranged marriage of the cultural sort. Nope, this one was all about cold, hard cash. And beer.

And meat.

I don't even know where to start on this one. So how about this? I sure understand that cash is hard to come by these days, but maybe when you look around your house for stuff to sell, you should choose, say, your TV. Not your child.

I know I threaten to sell my kids to gypsies now and then (but never in public), but I can't even imagine what kind of person would place a monetary value on his baby girl.

Or better yet, who would think buying her was OK. Let's hope child services steps up to the plate on this one.

Source

Comments (10)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Baron 1-14-2009 @ 10:58AM

Not that it makes it any better/worse, but in the part of Mexico where the family was from, arranged marriages like this, with kids this age, are common. This region in CA has many families from that part of Mexico too and this is rumored to go on quite a bit there (in CA). If I understand correctly, the money, food, and drink would typically be used in the wedding celebration.

moderate 1-14-2009 @ 2:26PM

I say leave your mysogynist and barbaric customs back home. Americans will not assimulate slavery into our country.

michelle 1-18-2009 @ 12:45PM

I say to bad for the guy getting ripped off. I hope he doesnt get the girl back! and the other guy doesnt get a dime back for anything he has already paid. Doesn't mention if they are illegal immigrants or US Citizens. Either way this is the USA-If they are now citizens here they pay for crimes that used to be ok in Mexico.

upurs 1-17-2009 @ 5:02PM

eh well he's a dad after my own heart...i traded my ex for an old pickup truck...and everybody told me i got the better end of the deal...i still have the truck,and my ex still calls....hahahaha

Rotten Jack 1-17-2009 @ 5:19PM

Was it at least good beer? I mean, would you consider trading a child for 100 cases of Shlitz or Pabst? NEVER!!! But what if it was 100 cases of Samuel Adams or Brooklyn Lager or Anchor Steam? I know you'd never do it, but you might at least listen to the entire offer.

And before anyone gets all over me about this, I'M KIDDING!!!!!!!

You could buy plenty of beer with the $16,000.

person 1-17-2009 @ 5:57PM

where is the mother of the girl in all this? Making tortillas? Too busy to notice her daughter is being sexually assaulted by an adult?

cblu4u2 1-17-2009 @ 6:31PM

both men need to be put in a cell with a guy named bubu and told what they did but more than likely she will go back to her father and they will all go back to mexico

THREMNIR 1-17-2009 @ 6:41PM

Take a good, hard look at this case. Look hard at Cali, because this will be your future if you don't DEMAND that your State enforce it's immigration laws, with respect to who gets jobs, and who gets State Aid. California once had the best public schools in the Nation, now the PS are nothing but daycare centers , California spends Billions of $$ on pre-natal care for illegal migrants, and raises taxes on it's citizens, and invents new taxes, to pay for it all. California is all but bankrupt, it's too late for Cali to turn it around.

ovrdwg 1-17-2009 @ 6:53PM

Wow, ain't foreign culture wonderful? Makes you want to embrace diversity, warts and all, doesn't it? Note the enlightened comments from sympathizers who "understand" that "cultural differences" shouldn't be criminalized in a free country. Why should immigrants have to modify their behaviors just to enjoy the fruits of their adopted country? Surely the mushhead behaviorists have compelling arguments for allowing the flowering of such cultural diversity. Can't wait to read their brilliant analyses.