Police: Man sold 14-year-old daughter into marriage for cash, beer

By Ashley Broughton
CNN
(CNN) - A California man sold his 14-year-old daughter to an 18-year-old man for cash, beer and meat - then called police when the prospective bridegroom didn't live up to his end of the deal, authorities said Tuesday.

Marcelino de Jesus Martinez, 36, of Greenfield, California, was arrested Monday and booked into the Monterey County Jail, Greenfield police said in a statement. He faces felony charges of receiving money for causing a person to cohabitate, police said.

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; six cases of meat and two cases of wine, Greenfield Police Chief Joe Grebmeier told CNN.