Police: Robertson wrestling coach hit another coach with car
The head wrestling coach at Las Vegas Robertson High School was arrested on suspicion of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon Wednesday after police said he struck another coach with his vehicle during an argument in May.
Coach Mark Martinez was arrested Wednesday by state police in connection with a May 11 incident involving Martinez and Daniel Crespin, according to an arrest warrant filed in San Miguel County Magistrate Court. Crespin was a coach for the Cardinal Junior Wrestling club for kids ages 4-14 not directly affiliated with the high school.
In addition to aggravated battery, Martinez was charged with leaving the scene of an accident.
Martinez was released Wednesday from the San Miguel County jail on an unsecured $5,000 bond, according to court records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 24.
Attempts to reach Martinez for comment were unsuccessful. Robertson athletic coordinator Juan Carlos Ful-
genzi declined to comment about the matter and about Martinez’s employment status.
According to an arrest warrant, the two coaches argued via text messages before agreeing to meet and fight at Crespin’s house. Martinez told investigators in the warrant that he was going to fire Crespin and take his gym key. Both men said in the warrant that Martinez could not find the residence, and Crespin said he went outside to look for Martinez.
Martinez told police Crespin threw a rock at his 2005 Toyota Corolla sedan as he arrived at Crespin’s house, according to the warrant.
But Crespin, the warrant stated, told police that Martinez drove at him, striking him with the front of the vehicle. The officer interviewed Crespin at Alta Vista Regional Hospital in Las Vegas.
Crespin, who wrestled at Robertson High from 2001-05, later was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital after the interview, according to the warrant. The extent of his injuries hasn’t been revealed. Attempts to reach Crespin were unsuccessful.
When the officer went to Crespin’s house, he saw tire tracks on the dirt shoulder that pointed away from the paved road in front of the residence, according to the warrant.
When investigators inspected the vehicle on May 13, the warrant said they discovered a “denim type fabric” on the passenger front bumper and what appeared to be small amounts of skin in the cracks of the windshield, which was damaged on the passenger side.
In a subsequent interview May 23, the warrant states, Martinez said he and Crespin exchanged text messages and phone calls on the night of the incident and Crespin threatened to “kick his ass.” When Martinez went to Crespin’s house, according to the report, he said he was looking away from the house when he saw Crespin throw a rock at the car. When Martinez stopped and looked behind him, he saw Crespin standing and gesturing toward him.
According to the warrant, Martinez said that he did not drive off the paved portion of the road at any time.
Martinez has been head coach at Robertson since 2015, replacing Richard Martinez, who led the Cardinals to seven team titles in a 20-year career. Robertson finished in third place in 2017 and missed out on a top-three finish in February by one point to Taos.