FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(New Haven, CT) — John P. Doyle, Jr., New Haven State’s Attorney, announced today that Joshua Martinez, age 29, of New Haven, has been sentenced for the imprisonment and torture of two victims inside a New Haven apartment in November 2018.
The Honorable Gerald L. Harmon on February 2, 2023 sentenced Martinez to 20 years in prison following his conviction on charges of Assault in the First Degree, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes §53a-59(a), and Intentional Cruelty to Persons, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes §53a-20(a).
According to court records, New Haven Police Officers responded to the apartment on November 11, 2018 after being advised that a security guard at the complex had been approached by a victim of the incident who had managed to escape. When officers went to the apartment, they located Martinez and a second victim, whose wrists and ankles were bound with electrical cords. Martinez was taken into custody at that time and a knife was recovered at his feet.
The investigation revealed that one of the victims went to the apartment the night before and a fight broke out between the victim and Martinez, who was on probation for a previous assault conviction. Martinez tied up the victim and over the course of several hours, hit and cut the victim with a knife. The victim also was burned with cigarettes and hot wax and forced to take sleeping pills.
The investigation showed Martinez also had restrained a second victim with a cable cord in a bedroom. At one point overnight, that victim was able to get out of the restraints but when Martinez realized the victim was no longer tied up, he forced the victim back into the bedroom, bound the victim again and tied the door handle to another door so that the victim could not leave the room. The victim was able to break free, snapped the cable from the door handle and walked down one flight of stairs to catch the elevator down to the lobby where a security guard called 911.
“The resolution of this case shows the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office’s continued commitment to holding violent offenders accountable and making sure they are brought to justice,” State’s Attorney Doyle said.
The case was prosecuted by Executive Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa M. D’Angelo, with assistance from Inspector Kevin P. Grenier.