Contracted Jail Guard Roberto Martinez of Palm Coast Accused of Pulling Gun on Fiancée

Roberto Martinez, a 34-year-old resident of Bannerwood Lane in Palm Coast, was arrested on a felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge after allegedly intimidating his fiancée with a gun during an argument, and quickly changing into his guard uniform before police showed up, as if to gain favor with deputies.

Martinez had himself called 911 just before 10 p.m. on Tuesday (Oct. 15) to report that he’d been in a verbal confrontation with his fiancée over the 2-year-old daughter they have in common, and to specify that he was an armed officer who worked for the Department of Corrections in Jacksonville. In fact, he is a security guard with First Coast Security, which contracts with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to provide staffing assistance to corrections deputies.




Within minutes, the sheriff’s dispatch center received another call from Martinez’s brother-in-law Tucker*, who was at the same house, and who reported that the argument was over Martinez attempting to take the 2 year old to New Jersey. Martinez was also arguing with his fiancée’s father, but had been arguing with his fiancée for 20 minutes, at times screaming at her.

Describing the argument, the alleged victim said she and Martinez had been sitting on the bed, with their child in her lap, when Martinez got upset with her because she did not want to work on their relationship. She alleges he grabbed her by the back of the neck to force her closer to him and look at him so the two of them would “talk the relationship out,” according to his arrest report. He then walked to his safe, where he told the dispatcher he keeps four firearms, unlocked it, grabbed one of the guns, returned to sit next to his fiancée, and placed the gun next to him. The alleged victim said he did not say why he had taken out the gun. He did not mention it. But he said he wanted to continue talking about their relationship.

She told authorities she’d had previous physical altercations with Martinez, which she did not report, but believed he could have used the gun as she called him unpredictable. As the argument continued she refused to talk about the relationship. She claims he told her he “should just blow her brains out now,” and that he knew where she works, where she lives, and to watch her back. She told authorities she feared retaliation against her or her family members.




He then put the gun back in the same and asked his father in law to come into the room, telling him he wanted him to be a witness to the discussion. It’s not clear what prompted Martinez to call 911 since he was reporting only a verbal altercation. But as he did so, his fiancée watched him change out of his red shorts and put on his guard uniform, even though he was not due back at work for several days. Both the after in law and the brother in law told deputies he had changed into his uniform only after calling authorities.

Martinez denied having put a hand on his fiancée or taken out the gun from the safe, saying he had last taken out the gun his fiancée described three or four months ago. But he also called the same gun his “everyday” gun: “it’s my concealed.” He also denied having told his father in law to be a witness. He refused to give deputies the code to his safe. Deputies obtained a warrant.

He then complied. He was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a third-degree felony and booked at the Flagler County jail on $12,500 bond, where he remained this morning. A judge issued an order of no-contact with the alleged victim and an order to surrender all his firearms to the Sheriff’s Office pending the disposition of the case.

(*) Tucker is a pseudonym.