Martinez was last seen on April 12, 2002 in La Puente, California. She left a message on the answer mashine for her son, telling him she was going out with a friend and reminding him to feed the dog. She had planned to visit a friend in Oregon for the day, but never arrived. She has never been heard from again.

Martinez was employed as a beautician at the time of her disappearance. She left a message for one of her clients, cancelling an April 15 appointment, saying she had a family emergency and couldn't make it. The last time she was at work, her clients remembered that she seemed nervous and her hands shook so badly she could not do an eyebrow waxing.

On April 15, Martinez's vehicle, a white 1991 Cadillac Eldorado, was discovered abandoned near The Soup Plantation in Puente Hills Mall in City Of Industry, California. There was no sign of Martinez at the scene. Authorities consider her disappearance suspicious. They believe that she was a victim of homicide, but her remains have never been recovered.