7/16/09
An Alcalde man who allegedly held his wife and daughter hostage last year was targeted July 8 in a Region III Narcotics Task Force drug bust, according to court documents.
Agents raided the home of Kevin Martinez, 23, and seized cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, hashish, Percocet and drug paraphernalia, documents state. Martinez allegedly cooperated with the search and admitted to having the drugs in the house and to selling cocaine to help pay the bills.
A total of 17.8 grams of powder cocaine, 2.8 grams of crack cocaine and 48.2 grams of marijuana were seized from the house, Region III Lt. Juan Martinez said.
All the drugs were found within easy reach of Martinez’s two young children, documents state. Martinez allegedly admitted to smoking crack cocaine when the children were present and conducting drug deals in their presence.
Martinez’s activity was brought to the task force’s attention by a confidential informant. Agents set up surveillance outside Martinez’s home during four drug deals the informant arranged with him. He bought cocaine on each occasion, which was then turned over to the agents.
Martinez was charged with two counts of controlled substance trafficking, for cocaine and crack cocaine; distribution of marijuana; being a felon in possession of a firearm, for a revolver that was found under his mattress; possession of a controlled substance, for having the Percocet without a prescription; possession of drug paraphernalia, for a pipe and digital scale; and abandonment or abuse of a child. He was being held at the Rio Arriba County Jail in Tierra Amarilla on $50,000 cash-only.
A year ago, on July 8, 2008, Martinez allegedly beat his girlfriend when she came over to his house to reconcile after an argument. He loaded a shotgun and pointed it at her while she was holding their 2-year-old daughter, asking her if she wanted to die, according to a police report.
His girlfriend eventually escaped by tricking Martinez and found help at Gallegos Motors in Española. Martinez was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a household member, two counts of abuse or abandonment of a child, false imprisonment and battery on a household member.
Martinez was never indicted for that incident, nor for a 2006 charge of knowingly endangering a child or a 2008 charge of breaking and entering and assault, according to an online court records database.
Assistant District Attorney Katie Thwaits said she would research the Gallegos Motors case to see why it wasn’t presented to a grand jury.