ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey — Most people think of their home as the one place they are safe. For one woman in Atlantic City, even that was taken from her.
Prosecutors say the victim was being beaten outside her own home when she tried to escape inside. Instead of stopping, her attackers followed her in.
What Investigators Found
Atlantic City police responded to a home on August 17, 2025, after reports of a woman being assaulted.
When investigators arrived, they pieced together a disturbing sequence of events.
Serena Martinez, 38, and a female co-defendant had been attacking the victim outside the residence. When the victim fled inside her home, the two women followed her through the door and kept beating her.
Martinez later admitted in court that she entered the home with the intent to continue the assault.
The Charges She Is Now Facing
Martinez pleaded guilty Tuesday in Atlantic County to two serious charges.
- Second-degree residential burglary
- Second-degree conspiracy to commit residential burglary
Under her plea agreement, prosecutors are recommending a five-year state prison sentence.
Due to New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, Martinez must serve 85 percent of that sentence before she becomes eligible for parole. Three additional years of parole supervision will follow her release.
Sentencing is set for July 31st.
Her co-defendant’s case is still ongoing.
No Safe Place Left
What makes this case particularly disturbing is the detail that Martinez crossed into the victim’s home on purpose.
This was not a crime that happened to spill inside. According to prosecutors, entering that home was a choice — made in the middle of an attack.
The victim ran inside looking for safety. What she got instead was two people following her through her own front door.
Under New Jersey law, entering a home without permission with intent to commit a crime qualifies as residential burglary — even without a forced break-in. Crossing that threshold was enough to bring serious felony charges.
Martinez’s guilty plea means the case will not go to trial. Sentencing is scheduled for July 31st, and the co-defendant’s case is still moving through the courts.
Do you think five years is a fair sentence for what happened here? Let us know what you think in the comments.
