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January 18, 2012 in News
Armed man robs assisted living facility in Liberty Lake
Employee and resident locked in a room
A former assisted living center employee accused of robbing the place at gunpoint early Wednesday was ordered jailed on $50,000 bond after appearing in Superior Court.
Timothy J. Martinez, 28, locked a 20-year-old female employee and a 77-year-old male resident in a room at Guardian Angel Homes in Liberty Lake after stealing a bag of narcotics about 2 a.m., according to Liberty Lake Police Department.
The center is across the street from the police department.
An officer and two sheriff’s deputies responded within one minute.
They saw a man later identified as Martinez throw something under a parked car near the center. An officer forced him to the ground and put him in the back of his patrol car before retrieving the bag of drugs and an Airsoft rifle that had a laser sight attached. Police followed Martinez’s footprints in the snow back to the center. The employee said the robber knocked on the door and said he had a medication delivery, then displayed the rifle when she opened the door. The man was wearing a ski mask, but the employee said his voice sounded very familiar. Martinez worked at the center last summer, according to police.
Martinez told police he was sorry but was “having money issues and had no choice,” according to court documents prepared by police.
“This is what I get for having an idea about trying to make a quick buck,” he said.
Martinez remains in jail on charges of first-degree robbery, two counts of first-degree kidnapping and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.
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nslopeofw on January 18 at 12:50 p.m.
What an idiot!
liberal_in_right_wing_land on January 18 at 1:00 p.m.
Dumba**
therailroader on January 18 at 2:25 p.m.
It appears that these types of places will need to lock their doors if this new level of desperation continues to expand.
william1977 on January 18 at 4:12 p.m.
what an idiot. the police station is right down the road. good grief. t
RedCedar on January 18 at 5:26 p.m.
When drug addicts steal drugs rather than money or property, it’s a sign that they are so heavily addicted and so desperate that they can’t even can’t think of any slightly more complex plan. It also means their thinking powers are probably so far gone that they’re bound to do something stupid and get caught.
misjustice on January 18 at 7:09 p.m.
“…they’re bound to do something stupid and get caught.”
OR, do several things that are stupid; rob a place where you once worked (and folks could/would know you), chose a snowy day leaving footprints that are easily tracked, chose a location that is close to a police department, decide to do a robbery in the first place…
At any rate, I hope that Guardian Angel Homes will evaluate their safety plan to try and avoid a similar situation like this in the future. Glad that no one was seriously harmed.