St. Paul police arrested city council candidate David Martinez on Monday morning on suspicion of violating the state’s revenge porn law.
On Saturday, a blog post appeared on Martinez’s campaign website and included a photo of a woman whose breasts were exposed. The post said Martinez’s estranged wife had obtained a restraining order against him.
Martinez’s wife confirmed to an investigator that the photo was her, said Steve Linders, a St. Paul police spokesman.
On Monday, at about 7:30 a.m., police arrested Martinez, 38, on suspicion of nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images, which is a felony. The case was presented to the Ramsey County attorney’s office for charging consideration and they have requested further investigation, according to an office spokeswoman.
Police said Martinez was taken into custody without incident at 85 E. Seventh Place, where the Minnesota Department of Commerce is located, among other offices.
Martinez had been a Department of Commerce project consultant since December, but was no longer employed as of Monday morning, according to Ross Corson, a department spokesman. Corson said he could not discuss the circumstances because it’s a personnel matter.
SERIES OF CONFRONTATIONS DOCUMENTED
Martinez’s wife of 13 years, who applied for an order for protection against him Friday, wrote she has “grown increasingly fearful and concerned about David’s behavior and am scared for me and our children. He has become more erratic, verbally abusive and confrontational. I would describe his behavior as ‘unhinged.'”
On July 4, at the couple’s St. Paul home, Martinez’s wife said something to their 7-year-old “that upset David” and he followed her downstairs, got within 1-2 inches of her face and blocked her way, according to her affidavit.
“He then put both of his hands around my neck and pushed me backwards into a shelving unit,” the 38-year-old woman wrote, saying he continued to scream at her and pushed her two more times.
Martinez’s wife called 911 and he locked her out of the house, so she couldn’t get back in or to their two children, according to her affidavit. When police arrived, Martinez’s wife was able to leave with their children and they stayed at a relative’s home.
Police said they are investigating the July 4 case.
On July 5, Martinez was arrested at the downtown St. Paul library and cited for disorderly conduct. He said he was sticking up for a teenager who was being unfairly ejected from the library. A St. Paul police report described Martinez as verbally combative toward at least two librarians.
On July 6, Martinez was ejected from Target Field and banned from the ballpark for a year following a physical confrontation with security.
Five days later — last Wednesday — Martinez purchased and brought home several canisters of mace and a pellet gun and “said he will use it against anyone who ‘gets in his face’,” his wife wrote in seeking the order for protection.
“He told me that individuals are threatening him,” she wrote. “I asked if he thought we were in danger of violent acts against us at our own home and he said he thought that we could be.”
Martinez’s ” behavior has continued to escalate over the past 3-4 weeks,” he was diagnosed with major depression in the past and “his mental state seems to be impacting his behavior,” his wife wrote in the court document.
On Friday, Martinez’s wife filed for divorce. A court document indicated Martinez was representing himself.
Also on Friday, a Ramsey County district court referee granted an emergency order for protection for Martinez’s wife and two children. A hearing is scheduled for this Friday.
The Ramsey County sheriff’s office served the order for protection on Martinez on Friday afternoon.
BLOG POST SAYS CLAIMS WERE ‘FABRICATED’
On Saturday, a post titled “Transparency” appeared on Martinez’s campaign blog and it began with a photo of a topless woman. The post went on to say his wife had filed a restraining order against him and he included a copy of it.
Martinez wrote that his wife “fabricated/made-up most of the testimony. … I am shocked and amazed that someone can make up a story just so they can kick someone out of their own home……and take the kids away.”
Martinez also wrote that his “attorney has advised me not to say anything further, but I wanted you to hear this from me. A few weeks ago, my wife said to me, ‘I am going to jeopardize/compromise your chances of winning the Ward 4 City Council seat! Well, good job honey. Love you too!”
Martinez, whom the Pioneer Press could not reach for comment before his arrest, told KARE-11 on Sunday that all of his accounts, including his campaign blog and social media accounts, had been hacked.
Martinez’s blog was taken down Sunday. After police were alerted to the photo, the investigator sent two requests to the blog’s host to remove the photo, Linders said.
Police are aware the image may also be visible on social media and “are working to get those taken down as well,” Linders said.
Over the weekend, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter asked Martinez to immediately drop out of the city council Ward 4 race.