A former “Love is Blind” contestant has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to kill his ex, whom he met on the show.
Santiago Martínez was sentenced on Wednesday (25 Mar) for attempted murder, repeated assault, and unlawful detention.
Martínez joined the Netflix reality show “Love Is Blind: Argentina”, which premiered in November 2024, when he was 29.
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Presenting himself as a young entrepreneur, he became one of 32 participants to successfully form a couple and married Emily Ceco, then 24, in a civil ceremony during the show’s final episodes.
The couple had been planning an intimate wedding with close family and friends. However, in February 2025, Emily reported Martínez for gender-based violence after appearing with a black eye, leading to the cancellation of their engagement.
A court issued a restraining order to prevent Martínez from approaching Emily, and he was removed from streaming programmes once the allegations became public.
The prosecution and plaintiffs had requested a 16-year sentence, but Martínez was handed 15 years after the prosecution rejected a plea deal that would have reduced his term, as reported by NeedToKnow.
Speaking to local media, Emily said: “I can’t believe it. I feel it’s over, I’m finally going to have peace. Justice has been done.”
She recalled her first encounter with Martínez after their separation, during the reading of the sentence.
“My whole body was shaking. I was terrified,” she said. “During his statement, he apologised and said he still loved me.
“I didn’t respond, but my brother went too far and told him, ‘If you loved her so much, why did you almost kill her? You beat her up – coward.’”
Emily added: “I have 15 years of peace ahead. I don’t know what will happen when he gets out, but I hope the justice system continues to protect me.
“If he tried to kill me when I gave him everything, I can’t imagine what he might do to me or my family after 15 years of anger.”
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