by JEN BIUNDO

MARTINEZ

Hays County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested a Kyle man accused of shoplifting from Cabela’s and then taking a swing at an officer Friday afternoon.

Investigators say they were called out to Cabela’s at about 3:15 after employees observed a suspected shoplifting. When deputies arrived on scene, they confronted Eian Martinez, 22, in the parking lot.

While the officers were conducting a search, they placed Martinez in the patrol car.

“The suspect had been put in the vehicle and was making a racket and banging around,” said Hays County spokesperson Mike Thielan. “The officer told him to quiet down and he hit the officer.”

Deputies subdued Martinez with a Taser gun, said EMS responders on the scene. The deputy struck by Martinez did not require medical attention, officials said.

Martinez is accused of stealing goods worth less than $50 from Cabela’s. Investigators also found drug paraphernalia and unprescribed medication in his car, they said. Additionally, Martinez also claimed ownership of a firearm found on his female companion, investigators said, noting that because of his previous criminal history, he is prohibited from carrying firearms. The woman was not arrested.

Martinez was charged with assault on a public servant and unlawful possession of a weapon, both third degree felonies; resisting arrest, a Class A misdemeanor; possession of a controlled substance, a state jail felony; and theft, a class C misdemeanor.

Total bond was set at $95,250. As of Tuesday, he remains in the Hays County Jail.

Since his 18th birthday, Martinez has faced charges of public intoxication, driving while intoxicated, criminal mischief and cruelty to animals.