Bethlehem home invasion suspects: We're not 'bad people' just desperate for money


Published: Friday, July 02, 2010, 11:52 AM     Updated: Friday, July 02, 2010, 5:09 PM
 Lynn Olanoff
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View full sizeExpress-Times Photo | BILL ADAMSLuis Martinez, left, and Jeremiah Nieves, next to him, said this morning that they're not "bad people" but they robbed and tied up two East Market Street residents in Bethlehem because they were desperate for money. They posed for this photo outside of district court.
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Share The two Bethlehem men charged in an East Market Street home invasion robbery said today that they’re “not bad people” but that they robbed the house because they were desperate for money.

Luis Martinez, 26, and Jeremiah Nieves, 24, said they were especially hurting for money around the time of the June 20 robbery because both their daughters’ birthdays were that month.

“We’re not bad people, we’re just desperate,” Martinez said in court before this morning's arraignment.

“We just needed some money,” Nieves added.

While waiting to be arraigned by District Judge Roy Manwaring this morning, Nieves and Martinez talked freely about the charges they face and how Nieves was recovering from being shot by Allentown police after he allegedly cocked a gun at officers during his apprehension.

Nieves and Martinez are accused of tying up a Bethlehem couple in their basement and stealing their car, computers and money. They drove the Lexus sedan to Allentown, where they were later arrested after a chase.

As they reviewed the charges against them, Martinez and Nieves said they didn’t understand why they were charged with kidnapping.

“We didn’t take ’em nowhere,” Martinez said.

A law enforcement official in the courtroom said they were charged with kidnapping because they had kept the couple in their basement. Nieves and Martinez are accused of using duct tape and dog chains to tie up lawyer James Lutz and his wife in their home in the 200 block of East Market Street.

Nieves also raised his objection to the kidnapping charge to Manwaring.

“You may think, ‘We did not kidnap anyone. They were just in the basement,’” Manwaring said. “If the evidence is not there to hold that charge, it may go away.”

Manwaring set bail for both men at $500,000. The bail is on top of Nieves’ $1 million bail in Lehigh County and Martinez’s $750,000 bail in Lehigh.

Manwaring said he didn’t expect either man would be able to pay both bails, but he felt the high bail was appropriate for the charges.

“The charges before you — there are many, they are serious,” he said.

Martinez asked Manwaring if he thought they might be eligible for consideration of a concurrent sentence for their various charges.

“Let me put it this way,” Manwaring said. “If your defense attorney can arrange for a concurrent sentence, he would have done a very good job for you.”

Nieves and Martinez said they feared the kidnapping charge would earn them an especially long prison sentence.

“I should have robbed a bank for all this,” Nieves said. “We’ll probably do more time than the guy in Northampton who shanked those four people. We’ll probably do more time than he did for homicide.”

Allentown resident Michael Eric Ballard is charged with fatally stabbing four Northampton residents on Saturday. He previously served 15 years in jail for fatally stabbing an Allentown resident in 1991.

Nieves and Martinez asked Manwaring if they could waive their upcoming preliminary hearings during arraignment, but Manwaring said he wanted to follow the proper procedure and advised both men to seek attorneys. Both have received public defenders in Lehigh County but have yet to apply for them in Northampton County, they said.

“I do not want the record clouded on this matter,” Manwaring said.

Nieves and Martinez said they wanted to waive their preliminary hearings because they want to start serving their time in state prison.

“I hope they don’t keep me in county for too long. I want to go upstate,” Nieves said.

“Let’s speed this up, let’s get upstate,” Martinez said. “The only thing that’s stressing me out is my family. Otherwise this doesn’t bother me.”

Nieves, who was shot in both the chest and the arm, lamented his injuries. He had trouble picking up paperwork and he had a small bandage on his inner right arm. Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin has said preliminary evidence indicates Allentown police officer Ryan Koons’ use of force against Nieves was justified.

“My hand is messed up, man,” Nieves said to Martinez. “They tried to kill me, man. I died on the way to the hospital.”

“They revived you, man?” Martinez asked.

“Yeah, thank God,” Nieves responded.

In Northampton County, both men face charges of kidnapping, robbery, aggravated assault, conspiracy, reckless endangerment, unlawful restraint, theft, possession of an instrument of crime, possession of a prohibited offensive weapon, receiving stolen property and access device fraud.

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Clint Smith, Director of Thunder Ranch, is part Drill Instructor, and part stand up comic. Here are a few of his observations on tactics, firearms, self defense and life as we know it in the civilized world.
 
·        "The handgun would not be my choice of weapon if I knew I was going to a fight....I'd choose a rifle, a shotgun, an RPG or an atomic bomb instead."
 
·        "The two most important rules in a gunfight are: Always cheat and Always win."
 
·        "Every time I teach a class, I discover I don't know something."
 
·        "Don't forget, incoming fire has the right of way."
 
·        "Make your attacker advance through a wall of bullets. I may get killed with my own gun, but he's gonna have to beat me to death with it, cause it's going to be empty."
 
·        "If you're not shootin', you should be loadin'. If you're not loadin, you should be movin', if you're not movin', someone's gonna cut your head off and put it on a stick."
 
·        "When you reload in low light encounters, don't put your flashlight in your back pocket... If you light yourself up, you'll look like an angel or the tooth fairy...and you're gonna be one of 'em pretty soon."
 
·        "Do something.  It may be wrong, but do something."
 
·        "Nothing adds a little class to a sniper course like a babe in a Ghilliesuit."
 
·        "Shoot what's available, as long as it's available, until something else becomes available."
 
·        "If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That's ridiculous.. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid for."
 
·        "Don't shoot fast, shoot good and remember to shoot first then ask questions later!"
 
·        "You can say 'stop' or 'alto' or use any other word you think will work but I've found that a large bore muzzle pointed at someone's head is pretty
      Much the universal language."
 
·        "You have the rest of your life to solve your problems. How long you live depends on how well you do it."
 
·        "You cannot save the planet. You may be able to save yourself and your family."
 
·        "Thunder Ranch will be here as long as you'll have us or until someone makes us go away and either way it will be exciting."
 
·        More Excellent Gun Wisdom.......The purpose of fighting is to Win!
 
·        There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either.
 
·        The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental.
 
·        Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.
 
·        If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.
 
·        I carry a gun cause a cop is too heavy.
 
·       When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.
 
·        A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers.  The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him 'Why do you carry a 45?' The Ranger responded, 'Because they don't make a 46.'
 
·        An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity.
 
·        The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. 'Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?' 'N o ma'am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought my rifle.'
 
·        Beware the man who only has one gun. He probably knows how to use it!
 
·        'The true Soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because He loves what is behind him.' - G. K. Chesterton
 
·        A people that values its privileges above its principles will soon lose both.
 
·         'Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.'  ~ Thomas Jefferson
 
·        "A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of  America  than the whole force of the common enemy." -- Samuel Adams
 
If you believe in the 2nd Amendment, please forward. 



ENJOY - APRIL!

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September 11 and September 12, 2010
11 am to 5 pm.

GREAT NEWS! We are honored to have Pamana Tuhon Chris Sayoc coming to Wichita Falls, TX to teach a seminar. P.T. Sayoc is the current head of the system and rarely does public seminars!
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We have a matted floor and ask you bring wrestling shoes or go barefoot.

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Two Days - $160          One Day - $100

Gear List
Two training blades, eye protection, goggles and protective cup.

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Pre-register for this Sayoc Kali seminar before September 1, 2010 and get 2 Days for $140.

Hampton Inn Wichita Falls-Sikes Senter Mall
4217 Kemp Blvd., Wichita Falls, Texas, USA 76308
Tel: 1-940-692-1999  Fax: 1-940-692-3499
 

Warrior's Way has set up a special hotel discount for the Sayoc Kali Seminar in September.
 
Hampton Inn is offering rooms to seminar participants for only $79 per night.  Rooms charges are normally $109 to $119.  This hotel is within walking distance of the academy and extremely nice.
 
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