Left: Dakotah, circa 1994;
Right: Age-progression to age 19 (circa 2011)
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: August 21, 1994 from Costa Mesa, California Classification: Family Abduction Date of Birth: August 21, 1992 Age: 2 years old Height and Weight: 3'6, 45 pounds Distinguishing Characteristics: Biracial (Caucasian/Hispanic) male. Brown hair, brown eyes. Dakotah's first name is spelled "Dakota" by some agencies.
Details of Disappearance
Dakotah and his three-year-old brother, Jeremy Luis Martinez, were abducted by their father, Jose Luis Martinez Pena. A photograph and vital statistics for Martinez Pena are posted below this case summary. They were last seen in Costa Mesa, California, on August 21, 1994, Dakotah's second birthday. A felony warrant for child concealment was issued for Martinez Pena on September 5, 1996.A photograph of Jeremy is posted below this case summary. He was found safe in June 2012, eighteen years after his disappearance, but Dakotah is still missing.
Above: Jeremy Martinez in 1994
Jose Luis Martinez Pena
Above: Jose Martinez Pena
Date of Birth: March 27, 1962
Age: 32 years old
Height and Weight: 5'8 - 5'10, 155 - 185 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Hispanic male. Black hair, brown eyes. Pena has a tattoo of a scorpion on his upper arm. His last name may be hyphenated, as in "Martinez-Pena."
Investigating Agency
Source Information
Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004.
Last updated December 14, 2012; details of disappearance updated.
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Orange County District Attorney's Office
714-541-7531
OR
714-347-8555
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
California Attorney General's Office