Visalia man convicted of carjacking, kidnapping

A Tulare County jury Friday convicted Lazarus Marquez, 23, of Visalia, of kidnapping during a carjacking, assault with a firearm, kidnapping, robbery, two counts of dissuading a witness with force, and identity theft. Each count is a felony.

The jury also found true the special allegation that Marquez personally used a firearm and the court found true that he committed these offenses while out on bail.

On July 10, 2015, the victim was getting in her car in her driveway to leave for work. Marquez approached the victim, held a gun to her head, and demanded her purse, phone and wallet. When she did not act quickly enough, he ordered her out of the car at gunpoint and forced her into the backseat of the car. He drove through Visalia at a high rate of speed ultimately telling her to get out of her car in the rural outskirts of the city. Marquez threatened her that she could not report the crimes for 24 hours or he would return to her home with his friends. The victim flagged down a passerby who took her to the Visalia Police Department.

Four days later the victim’s car was located by the Bakersfield Police Department in a residential neighborhood in Bakersfield. Marquez had also attempted to use the victim’s credit card at an Oildale gas station. On Aug. 14, 2015, police arrested Marquez at his Visalia home after the victim found him on Facebook and identified him by his pictures and unique tattoos.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 14 when Marquez faces 37 years to life in prison.