CLARION BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) — New details have materialized in the bizarre series of events that led to two men being injured in a violent incident in Clarion Borough on Thursday evening.
Court documents indicate the Clarion Borough Police Department filed criminal charges against 39-year-old Jacob A. Martinez of Butler, in Magisterial District Judge Duane L. Quinn’s office.
He faces the following charges:
- Criminal Attempt — Robbery-Inflict Serious Bodily Injury, Felony 1
- Aggravated Assault, Felony 2
- DUI: General Impairment/Incompetent of Driving Safely — 1st Offense, Misdemeanor
- Simple Assault, Misdemeanor 2 (two counts)
- Unauthorized Use Motor/Other Vehicles, Misdemeanor 2
- Accident Involving Damage Attended Vehicle/Property, Misdemeanor 3
- Careless Driving
- Drive While Operator Privilege Suspended Or Revoked, Summary
- Driving Without A License, Summary
A date for a preliminary hearing has not been scheduled.
Details of the case:
According to a criminal complaint, around 6:55 p.m. on Thursday, September 27, officers of the Clarion Borough Police Department were dispatched to the intersection of 8th Avenue and Wood Street for a two-vehicle traffic accident.
Hit and Run Crash on 8th Avenue
While the officers were en route, they received an update that the accident was a hit and run and that the operator of a blue 2013 Kia passenger car involved in the crash had fled the scene.
They discovered the driver of the Kia, later identified as Jacob Martinez, pulled into the side parking area of the University Korner store on the corner of 8th Avenue and Main Street and fled on foot toward Arnold Avenue.
Corporal White, of the Clarion University Police, called in the accident.
Officer Scheckler spoke with a witness, via phone, who reported that she was parked at the Subway parking lot off of Merle Road when she heard the crash and saw the damaged Kia drive to the University Korner and park. She stated that the driver exited the Kia and ran east on Merle Road, then went back to the Kia, grabbed something, and ran off again east on Merle Road toward Arnold Avenue.
The officers at the scene then began a search of the area.
Officer Scheckler went to the other car involved, a black 2006 Pontiac G6, which was parked in the southbound lane of traffic facing north on South 8th Avenue. The complaint notes the Pontiac’s front bumper was laying on the roadway, and the vehicle was not drivable following the crash.
Officer Scheckler questioned the driver of the Pontiac about the accident.
According to the complaint, the driver said she was delivering a pizza to a nearby residence. She started to make a left turn from South 8th Avenue into the driveway when the blue Kia passed her on the left, going into the oncoming lane and striking her vehicle. She said the Kia continued north and pulled into the University Korner parking lot. She noted that she thought the driver just wanted to get the vehicle off the road until he didn’t come back to the scene.
Officer Scheckler then obtained the owner’s information from the Kia and found the vehicle belonged to a known female who resides on Leatherwood Drive in Clarion Borough.
While he was investigating the crash, Officer Scheckler was dispatched to a residence on Heidrick Street pertaining to an incident involving a knife.
Knife Incident on Heidrick Street
Officer Scheckler proceeded to the Heidrick Street scene where he spoke with a known female victim. The complaint indicates that the victim was very upset and reported that a man, later identified as Martinez, came to the door of the residence asking for assistance. The man said that he had been in a traffic accident and needed to speak to a friend who lived nearby, so the victim let him use her phone.
She went on to say that after making a phone call, when she wanted her cell phone back, Martinez attempted to forcibly take the phone. She reported that a known man attempted to assist her, and Martinez pulled out a knife and threatened to cut the man. The known man then grabbed at the knife and a struggle ensued. A second known man attempted to assist the first known man and was bitten on his hand by Martinez.
The first known man was cut on the arm, hitting an artery.
The two known men then managed to grab Martinez and physically remove him from the residence. Martinez fled the scene on foot.
Both of the known men were transported by EMS to Clarion Hospital Emergency Room for medical treatment.
The victim said that she and a second female who was present were both in fear for their lives. The second female said that she saw the look in Martinez’s eyes and thought he was going to go back after the victim.
The victim showed Officer Scheckler where the altercation took place. Officer Scheckler observed blood on the cushions of a couch and on the floor, as well as blood-soaked towels in the kitchen sink.
The victim said she wasn’t familiar with Martinez and called the friend Martinez had asked to use her phone to call and then gave the phone to Officer Scheckler. The individual they reached said that the known female was a Leatherwood Drive resident; she owned the Kia and was dating Martinez.
According to the complaint, while conducting the investigation, Officer Scheckler received notification that the Kia involved in the traffic accident was reported stolen by the owner.
Officers Interview Owner of Kia at Leatherwood Drive Residence
Clarion Borough Chief of Police William Peck IV and Officer Scheckler, along with Trooper Haggater, of the Clarion-based State Police, then went to the Leatherwood Drive residence. Chief Peck spoke to the known female owner of the vehicle about locating Martinez.
The complaint states that the known female repeatedly insisted that she didn’t know Martinez’s location or have a description of him. Chief Peck continued to talk to her and requested permission to search the residence, but the known female didn’t want the residence searched.
According to the complaint, the known female eventually stated that Martinez was inside her residence, hiding in a closet.
The officers then located Martinez inside a closet in the residence. Chief Peck took Martinez into custody, and he was placed in the back seat of Officer Scheckler’s police cruiser.
The complaint notes that when Chief Peck went to speak to Martinez, he noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath. Chief Peck also noted Martinez’s eyes were bloodshot and glassy.
According to the complaint, Chief Peck asked if Martinez was willing to take a blood test, and Martinez refused.
Around 9:00 p.m. Officer Kemmer arrived to assist with the investigation. He interviewed the known female owner of the Kia at the Leatherwood Drive residence.
According to the complaint, the known female said she had been dating Martinez and when she came home from work around 4:00 p.m., Martinez wanted to go to Butler. She said she told him she did not want to go, and they argued about him borrowing her vehicle. She said she then went to take a nap and stated that Martinez and the vehicle were both still at her residence when she fell asleep.
The female went on to say that when she woke up, she found Martinez and her vehicle were gone. She stated that she had permitted him to borrow her vehicle in the past but did not give him permission to take the vehicle the night of the incidents. She said after discovering the vehicle gone, she called her mother who advised her to call the police. She then called 9-1-1 to report her missing vehicle.
Martinez Identified As Man Who Assaulted Two Men
Around 9:45 p.m., the known female from the Heidrick Street residence positively identified Martinez as the man who cut the known male with a folding knife.
According to the complaint, the man who was cut on the arm received six stitches to his left arm artery along with ten stitches to the outside of his arm.
The second man had bite marks on both hands, and the skin was broken.
Both men were treated at Clarion Hospital Emergency Room and later released.
The complaint also notes that after checking information on Martinez, police discovered he was wanted on a probation warrant out of Butler. Officers then obtained a bench warrant and had Martinez placed in the Clarion County Jail.
On Friday morning, he was transported from the Clarion County Jail to the Butler County Jail.
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