HONDO, Texas – A woman accused of stealing more than $36,000 from an elementary school parent-teacher organization has avoided prison after agreeing to a plea agreement in the case, Medina County court records show.
Heather Lutz Martinez, 34, pleaded no contest to misapplication of fiduciary property between $30,000 and $150,000 and theft between $30,000 and $150,000 late last month.
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She was ordered to serve eight years of community supervision and to complete 150 hours of community service, records show.
The plea agreement came nearly a year after Lutz Martinez was first accused of taking $36,208.11 from the Meyer Elementary School PTO’s bank account from late 2022 through May 2023.
She served as the organization’s president from June 2021 to May 2023.
Hondo police were notified of the potential theft in May 2023, but were asked to hold off on initiating a criminal review until the PTO group could decide how to proceed, officials previously said.
A formal criminal complaint against Lutz Martinez was then filed with Hondo PD days later, officials previously said.
PTOs are typically standalone organizations that host fundraisers and collaborate with a school’s staff and parents to improve children’s educational experiences.
Lutz Martinez is the daughter of Medina County Judge Keith Lutz.
A Medina County official told KSAT Tuesday that Judge Lutz was at an out-of-town conference and would be unable to comment on his daughter’s plea agreement until Friday.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.