Meat + Booze + Cash = Marry a 14-Year-Old!

Straight from the oh-man-why-did-it-have-to-be-in-California file, CNN treats us to a story of a father, Jesus Martinez, who sold his underaged daughter's hand in marriage to an 18-year-old boy in exchange for cash, tasty beverages and meat. (So that's what 14-year-olds are going for these days?)

That's not even the worst part. The worst part is the future son-in-law, who had already absconded with the minor Martinez, couldn't even come up with that pitiful dowry! An irate Mr. Martinez called the cops, and hilarity ensued.

Marcelino de Jesus Martinez, 36, of Greenfield, California, was arrested Monday and booked into the Monterey County Jail, Greenfield police said in a statement.

Martinez had arranged through a third party to have his daughter marry the older teenager, identified by authorities as Margarito de Jesus Galindo, of Gonzales, California. In exchange, Galindo was to pay Martinez $16,000 and provide him with 160 cases of beer, 100 cases of soda, 50 cases of Gatorade, two cases of wine, and six cases of meat, Greenfield Police Chief Joe Grebmeier told CNN.

The official felony charge is "receiving money for causing a person to cohabitate." I presume California law doesn't have a provision for receiving carne asada.


But before your fervent head-scratching breaks the skin, we're told this is TOTALLY, COMPLETELY, 100% NORMAL in Mr. Martinez' hometown of Oaxaca, Mexico.

In Oaxacan culture, the food and beverages are provided by a prospective bridegroom for the wedding...

Who am I to argue with culture? And then there's this little gem:

Authorities believe the young girl went with Galindo willingly, and no coercion was involved, he said. However, the girl is four years younger than California's age of consent, although the law does allow 16-year-olds to marry with parental consent.

Wait, what? Is it just me, or is California slowly starting to become Florida?

And just in case people weren't satisfactorily nauseated, the article slips in this little nugget:

He said his department has long heard rumors of children as young as 12 being sold or offered for sale. The Greenfield police statement said arranged marriages between young girls and older men "have become a local problem."

Yeah, I'd say when 12-year-olds are getting hitched to adult males, "local problem" is a fair assessment.

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