LEHI, Utah, June 17, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A Hooper man has been arrested on felony aggravated robbery and burglary charges after a woman allegedly walked into her home to find him armed with a knife and in possession of a duffel bag filled with her items.
A probable cause statement from Utah County said Dexter Martinez, 29, is facing charges of:
- Aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony
- Theft, a second-degree felony
On Tuesday just before 12:30 p.m., Lehi officers were dispatched to a burglary in progress in the area of 392 W. 100 North.
“The reporting party advised that she had come home to this location and had discovered a male in her home,” the statement said. “She described him as a Hispanic male wearing dark clothing with a shaved head and was last seen leaving the residence on a motorcycle. She stated that she knew who he was and identified him by a first name of Dexter.”
Upon officers’ arrival, the woman further described coming home to find the west door of her home had been broken and appeared to be kicked in, the statement said. She stated that as she attempted to open it, she felt resistance and had to push hard to open it, upon doing so as she entered she encountered the male, who she later recognized as Dexter. She did not know his last name but did know him from him interacting with a family member.
“She stated that as she entered, she was startled and observed that Dexter appeared to be holding a knife in his hands,” the statement said. “She stated that she felt threatened by him and felt he was holding it to scare her. She stated that she began to talk to Dexter to diffuse the situation. She stated that Dexter initially told her he was in the home to ‘hide from the police.’ She stated that as she spoke with him, she walked further into the home and noticed several items had been ransacked.”
She explained that Martinez then began to request pills or medication which she told him she didn’t have. She also observed in her bedroom a duffel bag loaded with her valuable items. She said that she then confronted the suspect about robbing her and he left the residence and got on his motorcycle before driving away, at which point she called dispatch.
She observed that several items appeared to have been placed in front of the front door in an apparent attempt to barricade it.
The suspect was located by a Lehi officer who performed a traffic stop on him at 700 S. 700 West. The suspect was wearing the same clothing the woman had described.
The statement said Martinez was found to be in possession of items that were confirmed missing from the home. These items were positively identified as jewelry that belonged to the woman and a medication bottle she advised belonged to her daughter. Some items, including a wedding band that contains diamonds, are still missing, the statement said.
Martinez was transported to the Lehi Police Department and read his Miranda Rights which he explained he understood. He stated that he wanted to speak with a lawyer before answering any questions. No other questions about the incident were asked at that time.
The suspect has a long history of theft and drug related offenses with several convictions, the statement said. He stated that he is not currently on probation or parole.
Martinez was transported to Utah County Jail with his bail set at $20,000.
