Carlos Rosario Martinez, a 40-year old homeless man, was arrested yesterday after he attacked a patron at the Pizza Hut on Monroe Street in Passaic and stole his wallet. According to reports, Martinez approached a patron and began repeatedly punching him in the face. He stole the man’s wallet after the assault and fled on foot.
The victim, also 40, was apparently knocked unconscious and was still lying on the floor when police arrived on scene. He was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, where he was treated for facial contusions.
A witness chased Martinez down the street and saw him throw the victim’s wallet to the ground. The witness provided a detailed description of Martinez – multiple tattoos on his face and neck, bald, with a big scar on the back of his head. Martinez was later taken into custody, after being spotted at a nearby intersection by police, at which time he advised that he was homeless.
Martinez was charged with second degree Robbery as a result of the incident. If convicted, he faces between 5 and 10 years in New Jersey State Prison, 85% of which must be served before the benefit of parole under the No Early Release Act (“NERA”) for violent offenders.
For more information, see the NorthJersey.com article entitled, “Homeless man is charged with robbery in incident at Passaic restaurant.”
