SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged violent crime and have a man in custody.
While sitting in the basement of his residence Tuesday afternoon with a woman, a 32-year-old Salina man heard some glass break upstairs. Soon after, a man entered his basement, allegedly beat him and left, forcefully taking the 22-year-old woman with him.
Just after 4 p.m. July 2, multiple witnesses began reporting to police in Salina that a man was causing a disturbance at a residence in the 100 block of North College Avenue, according to Salina Police Capt. James Feldman.
Officers were advised in route that police had multiple calls and that there was a woman being forced into a vehicle and there was a man at the residence bleeding from his head.
Once officers arrived at the scene, Feldman said they began conversations with the 32-year-old victim, who told them what allegedly happened in his basement just a few minutes before.
The victim reported to officers that a man, later identified as 35-year-old Mark A. Martin, entered the basement, grabbed the victim by the throat and pushed him against a wall, causing the victim to fall into furniture and to the ground.
"He [Martin] was upset," Feldman said. "While on the ground, he [the victim] was punched multiple times in the face. The victim reported that Martin grabbed the woman dragged her upstairs, forced her into a vehicle and drove away.
Feldman said that officers later found that Martin and the 22-year-old victim were related to each other but did not give further details.
Officers then began searching the area for Martin or his vehicle, but reports from Christ Cathedral sent officers to the historic church on Eighth Street.
"We received a call that the vehicle was possibly at Christ Cathedral," Feldman said. "Officers responded, didn't see the vehicle, but made contact with the 22-year-old woman who was at the church."
The 22-year-old woman told officers that Martin had dropped her off at the church to meet with another relative, where she then took refuge away from Martin and church staff called police.
Another officer in the 800 block of West South Street located Martin's car and found Martin at a residence about 30 minutes after the initial call at the residence on College Avenue.
Officers then arrested Martin without incident and, with further investigation, found that Martin also had his 2-year-old child with him during the entire incident.
Feldman said officers booked Martin into the Saline County Jail on requested charges for aggravated battery, aggravated burglary, kidnapping, domestic battery, driving while suspended and endangering a child.
The burglary charge stems from Martin entering an occupied home with the intent to cause violence, constituting a burglary charge under the crime's definition. Martin did not steal anything from the residence.
The 32-year-old male victim had multiple injuries, including a swollen and bleeding right eye, a laceration to the backside of the head and a broken cheekbone. The 22-year-old woman had no injuries.