A Hailey man has been charged with second-degree kidnapping, aggravated battery and criminal conspiracy after he allegedly carried out a plot to beat up an acquaintance with whom he had a grudge.
Juan Martinez Macias, 20, was reported in custody in Blaine County Jail on Tuesday in lieu of payment of a $5,000 bond.
Martinez is alleged to have beaten Hailey resident Isaias De Loera, 22, from whom he had bought a car months ago. Hailey Police Chief Brian McNary said De Loera repossessed the car after Martinez failed to pay him. Since then, McNary said, De Loera had complained to the Blaine County Sheriff's Office that Martinez had been threatening him.
McNary said that late on the night of Wednesday, Oct. 12, De Loera got a phone call from a friend of his, a 17-year-old girl, asking him to show her where someone lived. McNary said De Loera agreed, and the girl showed up at De Loera's house in Hailey shortly after with another 17-year-old girl in her car. McNary said De Loera reported that he got in the car and his friend told him she needed to drop off her friend at her house first.
McNary said De Loera's friend drove west out of Hailey on Croy Creek Road and headed up Democrat Gulch. He said De Loera asked where they were going since nobody lived out there. McNary said that in response, De Loera's friend asked to borrow his cell phone to make a call. McNary said De Loera handed it to her.
McNary said that about one and a half miles from Croy Creek Road, the driver stopped the car. He said De Loera reported that he then heard someone in the trunk. McNary said the girls got out of the car and opened the trunk. McNary said De Loera told police that Martinez climbed out holding what De Loera thought was a gun, hit him over the head with it, pulled him out of the passenger seat and beat him up. McNary said Martinez and the two girls then drove off, leaving De Loera lying on the ground.
McNary said De Loera showed up at the Blaine County Sheriff's Office at 7:30 a.m. Saturday "covered with blood, and with a serious gash on his lip."
"We had a difficult time understanding him, his mouth was so swollen," McNary said.
He said De Loera was transported to St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center, where he was treated and released.
McNary said that on Thursday, he and another officer drove out to Democrat Gulch to inspect the site of the alleged crime, where they found blood on the grass.
On their way, he said, they spotted the car with the two girls as described by De Loera. He said they stopped the car, detained the girls and transported them to the Blaine County Sheriff's Office. He said sheriff's deputies questioned the girls and released them to their parents.
McNary said charges are pending against the girls.
