A man murdered at his Foothills home was found tied to a chair. That’s the revelation in an interim criminal complaint filed against 34-year-old Frank Eugene Martinez Jr. Martinez is charged with 1st-degree murder, kidnapping, and burglary.
The court document blots out the name of the victim but the Pima County Sheriff’s Department has identified the man as 71-year-old Robert Belman. On Thursday, April 19, Deputies responded to Belman’s home in the 5400 Block of Calle Barril.
Two friends told deputies the man was not answering the phone or coming to the door. Deputies found the door open and found the victim tied to a chair with neckties and belts.
There is no mention of how he died. A TV, stereo, computer, and surveillance cameras were missing. A safe had been opened with a key and emptied. Deputies arrested Martinez the day after the murder.
They say they found items that belonged to the victim with Martinez. Belman’s surveillance system sent video to his phone.
When his phone was recovered deputies saw a video taken on Wednesday, April 18 that showed a man with a ski mask, a red shirt and dark shoes forcing Belman into the bedroom.
Investigators say Martinez was wearing similar shoes when they found him.
Deputies say the suspect, Martinez was found at the house three days before when he tripped an alarm.
He said he had found a key and used it to open the garage.
He denied ever entering Belman’s home but conceded he had committed burglaries.