A Laquey man is charged with Robbery in the first degree and armed criminal action after holding a woman at gunpoint.

Kalen Martinez was arrested after a Waynesville police officer was dispatched within the city limits for a report of an armed robbery. After arriving on the scene, the officer made contact with the victim.

She stated a man came to her door and asked if she was giving out candy. She told him she was and turned to get a bowl of candy from a nearby chair. When she turned around, the man had stepped inside her residence, holding a black gun.

After taking some of the candy, he directed her to move to the kitchen and sit in a chair by the table. She told the officer the man sat across from her, holding the gun in his right hand, and asked if she had any pain pills.

As she told the man she didn’t have any, he noticed an envelope with cash in it. According to the probable cause statement, he reached for the envelope with his free hand. She attempted to grab it from him, and while struggling for the money she hurt her hand and wrist. The officer noted later her had was visibly stolen. The victim stated she had $500 in fifties and twenties in the envelope.

When the man started to leave, he grabbed her cell phone and left with it. The victim stated he went “right towards the parking lot,” and she heard him yell something before seeing red brake lights.

The victim described the gunman as wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled low, and stated he was shorter and slimmer than her. She described him as scruffy, and “needing to shave.” She later added, according to the probable cause statement, that his hood had black markings on top, which she could see because he had it pulled down so low. She also described the gun barrel as “smaller than the width of the end of her pinky finger.”

The arresting officer stated in his report that while checking the area the victim indicated the man ran towards, he found several pieces of candy that matched what she had been handing out at her home.

As the officer spoke with a Detective, a man came out of a nearby apartment. He was identified as Kalen Martinez, and was wearing a gray T-shirt with a yellow, hooded sweatshirt with an open zipper.

The present law enforcement took a picture of Martinez and showed it to the victim, who confirmed Martinez was the one who came into her house with the gun.

Martinez was placed in handcuffs and detained for further questioning, according to the probable cause statement.

In Martinez’s pocket was a small box of Milk Duds, matching what the victim was distributing. The other candy found on the sidewalk led to Martinez’s car where a black bb gun magazine was found in front of his vehicle. Martinez allowed a search of his vehicle and the residence he had left and nothing else was located.

According to court documents, Martinez’s bond is set for $100,000, with a case set for advice of counsel on Nov. 7, 2017.