Eddie Martinez, 31, is charged with false imprisonment, theft of a vehicle, and two counts of evading arrest after he took a woman’s car last night from the Waffle House parking lot at 556 Donelson Pike.
The 34-year-old victim, a Waffle House employee, had gone outside to get something from her car when Martinez, who had been inside as a customer and whom she recognized from high school but hadn’t seen in years, got into her vehicle. He told her that he needed her car to “get away”. She got into the passenger side in hopes of dissuading him from taking her vehicle.
Martinez drove off with the victim. MNPD officers coordinated with robbery detectives to locate the vehicle based on the victim’s cell phone. Once detectives located the car, they began following it. The car traveled into Rutherford County where Smyrna Police Department officers attempted to stop Martinez, but he fled, crashing into a Smyrna police vehicle. Martinez drove back into Davidson County as the victim pleaded for him to let her out, but he refused. Ultimately, Martinez drove into Wilson County where Mt. Juliet Police officers and Wilson County Sheriff’s Office deputies successfully deployed spike strips. Martinez finally stopped on Mt. Juliet Road near I-40 where he was taken into custody.
During an interview, Martinez admitted to taking the car because he said he needed to get away from people who were “after him”. The victim reported that Martinez was behaving extremely paranoid.
Martinez is being held in lieu of $47,500 bond. He was convicted of aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping in 2012.
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Eddie Martinez, 31