Rapist in 2 Escapes Gives Up Following 7-Hour Siege

A seven-hour siege by sheriff’s special weapons team officers ended late Wednesday afternoon at an Altadena apartment house when tear gas persuaded an escaped “compulsive rapist” to surrender.

Eric Patrick Martin, 31, sentenced to 116 years in prison for rape and other crimes in Alameda County, escaped from there more than six weeks ago and then again last week in San Bernardino County--each time by feigning illness and overcoming a guard at a medical center.

He has been described by a San Bernardino County sheriff’s sergeant as “a compulsive rapist,” preying on women alone in homes, convenience stores, shops and other locations.

He was traced to the apartment of a woman acquaintance in the 400 block of West Figueroa Drive by San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies, who went there Wednesday morning.

The woman, who reportedly met Martin two weeks ago and did not know he was an escapee, emerged from the apartment with her sister and two children at the urging of the officers. But Martin refused to surrender, Los Angeles County sheriff’s spokesman Dave Tellez said.

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s special weapons team quickly surrounded the building, and other occupants were evacuated. Once the four got out, no hostages were believed to be left inside.

Deputies managed to talk to Martin twice by telephone, the last time at 11:47 a.m., when he hung up on them and apparently took the phone off the hook.

Throughout the long afternoon, officers with loudspeakers continued to try to persuade the fugitive to surrender.

It was not until nearly 5 p.m., when the special weapons team prepared to storm the apartment and began to fire tear gas, that Martin yelled he wanted to talk to a negotiator.

At 4:55 p.m., he agreed to surrender and walked out unarmed. Deputies said a handgun was found inside the apartment.

Martin made his first escape in Oakland on Oct. 20, when he pretended to be ill during a court appearance. He was taken to a hospital under guard but overpowered a deputy and fled.

On Nov. 26, Martin was arrested in the Los Angeles area by sheriff’s deputies in Carson, who found him driving a car taken at gunpoint from an automobile salesman during a test drive in San Bernardino. Authorities said he was carrying the identification of Louis Anthony Garbutt, 25, of Los Angeles, whose wallet had been stolen.

Martin was taken to San Bernardino County Jail and booked under the name of Garbutt on suspicion of auto theft and robbery.

The next day, Thanksgiving, he reportedly complained of stomach pains and was taken to San Bernardino County Medical Center.

During a medical examination, he asked to use the rest room and was taken there by Deputy Leonard Nigel. As they left the rest room, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Stodelle said, Martin struck Nigel in the face, knocked him down and escaped with the officer’s .357 Magnum revolver.

It was not until Saturday that deputies located the real Garbutt in Los Angeles and learned that his wallet and identification had been stolen. A fingerprint check through a state computer in Sacramento then established that the fugitive was Martin.