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Police: Man arrested for pushing roommate off of roof, attacking with a saw

KNXV Jeffrey Martinez.jpeg
Posted at 4:38 PM, Jan 22, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-22 18:38:56-05

PHOENIX — Police have arrested a man for pushing his roommate off a roof and attempting to cut his neck with a saw.

Officers were called to a home near 24th Street and McDowell Road around 9 p.m. on January 19. They arrived to find a man, Jeffrey Martinez, on top of someone with significant injuries.

The victim was taken to the hospital and treated for a collapsed lung, eight broken ribs, a broken nose, and a significant cut to one of his fingers, according to a probable cause statement.

"He had injuries on nearly every plane of his body, with significant bruises, swelling and abrasions," police wrote.

Phoenix police said the pair were on top of an unfinished structure in the backyard when Martinez lured the victim to an area with a hole in the roof and pushed him through it. The victim landed on a small water heater, and Martinez climbed down and stabbed the victim with a 2 x 4 as many as a dozen times, police said. Martinez then got on top of the man and began punching him before reaching for a handheld reciprocating saw, turning it on, and trying to cut the victim's neck.

When interviewed, Martinez told police the victim had a crazy look in his eye while cutting boards on the roof and said the shove that sent him off the roof was in self-defense.

Martinez has been charged with six counts of aggravated assault, including three which are felonies. A judge set his bond at $75,000. Online jail records indicated he remained in custody as of Tuesday afternoon.