Newport Officer Arrests Own Son On Car-Theft Charge Boy Accused Of Taking Mother’s Corvette For Trip With Girlfriend

Policeman Ernest “Marty” Martin takes his duty seriously. Just ask his son.

The Newport officer arrested his son early Sunday morning after the boy, who had just turned 17, allegedly stole his mother’s 1975 Corvette.

Police Chief Gary Markwardt said Cindy Martin heard her sports car leave, then found a note in which the boy said he was going to Connecticut with his girlfriend.

Cindy Martin called her husband, who was on duty, and he went straight to the girlfriend’s house. A sheriff’s deputy also was dispatched because the girlfriend’s home and the Martin residence both are in a rural portion of southern Pend Oreille County.

But Officer Martin arrived first, found his son and placed him under arrest, Markwardt said.

“It was a violation that had to be handled, and he handled it,” Markwardt said.

The boy was charged with car theft, a felony that could result in five to 20 days of juvenile detention. He was released to his parents, pending arraignment May 8.

Although the boy has no previous convictions, Markwardt said he was investigated about two weeks ago for allegedly taking one of his parents’ cars and driving to a convenience store to get some beer. No charges were filed in that case.

Markwardt confirmed the boy was expelled from Newport High School a couple of years ago for bringing Internet information about contraband materials to school.

Martin is not the first Newport officer to arrest his own child. Markwardt said former Officer Ed Miller once arrested his own daughter on a shoplifting charge.

“Normally we try to have someone else handle those situations,” but that isn’t always possible in a small department, Markwardt said.

Miller resigned in December 1995 after being suspended for entering a house without a search warrant and roughing up a man who allegedly harassed him on the telephone. He later was convicted of conducting an illegal search and was sentenced to 30 days of home detention.

, DataTimes