Salt Lake self-proclaimed millionaire kidnapped, tortured woman, police say

SALT LAKE CITY (KSL) — A self-proclaimed millionaire was arrested Wednesday in Salt Lake City and accused of holding a woman in his house for several weeks, assaulting her on multiple occasions during that time and threatening to kill her family members, KSL.com reports.

Ramone Marcio Martinez, 39, of Salt Lake City, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated kidnapping, five counts of aggravated assault and assault.

The investigation began when a woman texted a friend saying she was being held against her will. The friend then called police.

“The victim had texted him begging for help and that she was scared for her life,” according to a police booking affidavit.

When police arrived at Martinez’s house, he opened the door and “had his hand in his hoodie pocket and I could see the outline of a handgun which he was holding onto. I ordered him to put his hands in the air, and he complied,” the officer wrote in the affidavit.

Officers found the woman who “had heavy bruising around both eyes, and she stated her ribs were hurting and that she had difficulty breathing. She stated that over a period of several weeks she was threatened to be killed and was assaulted. During this time, she was unable to leave or go anywhere freely,” the affidavit states.

The woman told police she had been assaulted six times on Tuesday alone. On two occasions she was choked to the point of losing consciousness, the affidavit states, once by Martinez using his hands and the other by his foot.

“At another point in time (he) grabbed the victim and held a knife to her throat. Again at another point in time, (Martinez) grabbed a knife and carved the number ‘6’ into the victim’s left hand stating that she had six months to love him or be killed. And lastly, at some point during the day, the victim stated (Martinez) grabbed a gun and pointed it at her head,” according to the affidavit.

Police have requested that Martinez be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without bail pending formal charges being filed, noting that he has “many firearms and has access to a large amount of money to gain access to more firearms if he chooses. (He) also threatened to go to Mexico and chop up the victim’s brother” as well as attack the woman’s mother, the affidavit states.

Martinez has businesses in California, Oregon and Arizona where police say he also has a second house and was planning on taking the woman there that evening.

“(Martinez) also stated he is a millionaire, giving him access to flights and other means of travel which would enable him to flee,” police wrote.