Jarel Martin (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office)
MINNEAPOLIS (KFGO-WCCO) — A 35-year-old man found guilty of theft and being a felon in possession of a gun is on the run after fleeing a sentencing at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
According to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, a judge sentenced Jarel Valdez Martin to five years in prison on his charges on Tuesday morning.
That’s when a woman with Martin handed him his phone, despite being told not to. When deputies asked for his phone, a “physical altercation ensued,” and Martin was able to break free and flee out of the courtroom, officials said.
Authorities provided a photo of Martin running down the stairs at the courthouse without a shirt or shoes. Martin is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall with black hair.
Officials filed a warrant for his arrest.
Martin was sentenced after being convicted of stealing ammunition and a firearms magazine from a Mills Fleet Farm in Brooklyn Park last October. He has a prior conviction for first-degree aggravated robbery and federal felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and unlawful transport of firearms, both in 2011.
Anyone who sees Martin or knows his whereabouts is asked to call 911.
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