A man being investigated for allegedly kidnapping a woman at a Hobbs casino was arrested for failing to comply with probation, while the woman was being held by Carlsbad police for failing to appear in court on a traffic violation.
Jonathan Zaragoza, 36, of Hobbs was booked into the Eddy County Detention Center (ECDC) Saturday at about 10:53 p.m. by Carlsbad police, read the jail’s website.
A warrant for his arrest was issued Aug. 2 by a Lea County District Judge for violating probation terms agreed to during a 2019 plea deal for trafficking methamphetamine in Lea County in 2017, online court records stated.
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Zaragoza violated probation terms in 2021 on charges of battery on a household member, records show, interference with communications, property damage to a household member, leaving the scene of an accident and kidnapping, per a criminal complaint filed by Hobbs police.
He allegedly forced Erica Martinez, 35, into car at the Zia Park Hotel and Casino in Hobbs on Thursday, read a Hobbs Police Department Facebook post.
Police were able to identify Martinez through surveillance video and screenshots shared on social media by the hotel and casino.
Hobbs police suspected Zaragoza and Martinez were in Carlsbad Saturday, said Carlsbad Police Department Spokesperson Capt. Jesse Rodriguez.
The Hobbs Police Department press release noted both were found in Carlsbad around 9 p.m. Saturday. Rodriguez said they were located at a property on the 4300 block of Texas Street.
He said Hobbs police took over the investigation once Zaragoza and Martinez were transported to ECDC.
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Martinez was detained at ECDC on a warrant for failure to appear in a Lea County court after being ticketed by Hobbs police for driving on a suspended license on July 25, according to online court records.
Hobbs Police detectives interviewed Martinez and criminal charges against Zaragoza were pending for possible kidnapping once the criminal investigation completed, the release read.
Both Zaragoza and Martinez were held on no bail and no bond on the prior charges as of late Monday morning, the ECDC website noted.
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Additional information sought from the Hobbs Police Department were not returned to the Current-Argus.
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at [email protected] or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.
