Suspect claimed he was hit by female drivers and hustled them for cash
According to Milpitas Police Lieutenant Max Nobida, “On Tuesday, August 11 2015, a Milpitas Police officer investigated a theft by false pretenses in the parking lot of City Square Shopping Center at 1800 North Milpitas Boulevard. The suspect claimed Victim #1 struck him with her vehicle, and he demanded money.” Once the suspect made contact with the victim, she feared for her safety, and gave the man $140.00. Satisfied with the amount, the suspect fled on foot.
Then a week later, on Tuesday, August 17, a Milpitas Police officer investigated another theft by false pretenses in a parking lot the next block over, Crescent Square Shopping Center at 1700 North Milpitas Boulevard. Once again, a man claimed that a woman had struck him with her vehicle, and demanded money from her.
At least one other victim was accosted in this parking lot.
When victim #2 tried to call police, the suspect grabbed her phone, pulled out a black object of some kind, and threatened to shock her. He then grabbed $20.00 from the woman, returned her phone and left the scene.
Several weeks later, on Sunday, August 30, a Milpitas Police officer investigated yet another attempted theft by false pretenses, this time back in the City Square parking lot at 1800 North Milpitas. It was the same situation where the suspect claimed victim #3 had struck him with her vehicle, and demanded that she give him money. During this investigation, Milpitas officers located Antonio Humberto Martinez, a 31 year-old San Jose resident, who was nearby and matched the description provided.
Martinez was identified as the suspect in this case through a photo line-up and physical evidence at the scene. He was issued a citation for attempted theft by false pretenses, and was released at the scene with a promise to appear in court.
Once Milpitas detectives reviewed the police report from the investigation on August 30th, and saw that Martinez matched the suspect descriptions from the prior cases on August 11th and August 17th, detectives were able to determine that he was likely responsible for all three Milpitas cases, and obtained an arrest warrant for two counts of robbery and one count of attempted theft by false pretenses.
On Tuesday, September 29, a team of Milpitas detectives located Martinez in front of his apartment in northeast San Jose, near Vinci Park Elementary School. He attempted to flee from detectives, but with assistance from the San Jose Police Department, Martinez was taken into custody. He was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on two counts of robbery, one count of theft under false pretenses, being under the influence of a controlled substance, hit and run, and resisting arrest.
