Renton police search for suspect in kidnap, rape case

RENTON -- Police were searching Thursday for a 25-year-old Renton man who is the suspect in an alleged kidnapping and rape of a 28-year-old Renton woman who ran into a Kirkland Safeway store Wednesday and asked for help, prompting store managers to lock down the grocery store for a short time.

According to police, the victim said she met the suspect, Luis Martinez, at a Renton restaurant Wednesday regarding some paperwork.  There, she said, Martinez had a few drinks before getting into the victim’s car with her.  While the victim was driving, she told police, Martinez pulled out a handgun and racked the slide, then told her she would be spending the day with him.  Martinez forced her to drive to several locations, and at one location pressed his gun into her side and sexually assaulted her, she told police.

When Martinez stopped at a grocery store in Kirkland, the victim was able to get away from him and sought assistance from a store employee.

Police said that while the victim was getting help, Martinez used the victim’s debit card to withdraw several hundred dollars from her account at an ATM.  Once Martinez realized that the victim had escaped, he left in her car, which he gassed up before disappearing.

Sometime later a witness reported that Martinez had left the victim’s vehicle in Tukwila.  The vehicle was recovered by Tukwila Police and processed for evidence.

Police said Martinez is described as being 6-foot, 185 pounds, with black hair and black eyes.  He has tattoos on his neck that are visible from the front; a red star on the right front of his neck and the beginning of a scripted word on the left side of his neck.  Police said Martinez was last seen with a handgun and should be considered armed and dangerous.  He is known to stay in hotels (where he checks in under an assumed name), often travels by Metro bus, and usually hangs out in southeast or east King County. 

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call 911 or the Renton Police Department at 425-430-7500 and reference case #13-11400