Ryan Martinez, a 23-year-old from Sandia Park, is charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault during a protest near Española. Prosecutors want him detained without bond due to safety concerns.
Prosecutors are seeking no-bond detention for a Sandia Park man accused of a shooting last week near Española during a protest for the installation of a statue of Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate.
Read more
Accused Oñate Statue Shooter to Remain in Jail while Awaiting Trial
Ryan Martinez, 23, was charged with attempted murder in the first degree and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the Sept. 28 shooting.
Rio Arriba Magistrate Court Judge Alexandra Naranjo transferred the case to state District Court for a decision on the bond issue, but denied defense attorneys’ request that Martinez be released pending that hearing.
“No conditions of release will reasonably protect the safety of another or the safety of the community,” Norman Wheeler, deputy district attorney, wrote in the state’s expedited motion for pre-trial detention. He later added, “The danger to the community cannot be overstated.”
Wheeler also explained that Martinez has a history of social-media threats and had been investigated by the FBI.
“The FBI interviewed the defendant on Jan. 24, 2020, wherein the defendant admitted to making threatening posts on Twitter,” Wheeler wrote in citing a letter law enforcement received from the FBI.
Additionally, Martinez tweeted about using a weapon “and then low and behold when a perceived conflict arose, the defendant used his firearm to shoot a man standing not 10 feet away from him who was standing in a crowd that included children when the defendant could have simply walked away,” Wheeler wrote. “Should the defendant be released and perceive another conflict with the added stress of facing these charges, the defendant again may choose to hurt others to get away and may hurt others in order to escape.”
Martinez “was at the sight(sic) of the statue and was attempting to disrupt the peaceful protest. He jumped over a short wall and engaged a group of protesters,” the release said. “Martinez then brandished a firearm from his waistband and discharged one round, striking a 42-year-old male. Martinez fled on foot before getting in his car and driving away from the scene.”
The shot hit the victim, Jacob Johns, “in the left chest, collapsed a lung, struck the spleen, struck the liver and stomach, causing life-threatening infection risk,” Wheeler wrote.
Shortly after the shooting, the Pojoaque Tribal Police Department spotted Martinez driving his vehicle south on US 84/285 and were able to take him into custody after a traffic stop without further violence.
But, at times in his departure, Martinez was traveling in excess of 100 MPH, Johns wrote.