PHILLIPI, W.Va. — A West Virginia man is facing charges after allegedly attacking a woman and holding her against her will.
Officers called to the scene of a domestic disturbance on Tuesday said that they spoke to a woman who was hiding under a porch at a neighbor’s house who said she had been attacked, WDTV reported. The victim told police that Sammy Martz had hit her in the face, causing her eye to swell shut.
The victim said that she had escaped from the house through a window after Martz threatened to kill her and used a torch to burn her stomach and leg, WBOY reported. The victim told officers that Martz was still inside the home and was armed.
Investigators said they found a “substantial” amount of methamphetamine and an unloaded firearm in the home with Martz, WDTV reported. Police told the station that Martz had tortured the victim and held her captive for several hours.
In a criminal complaint obtained by WBOY, officers said that Martz confessed to hurting the victim “by striking her and burning her with a torch on at least three occasions.”
During an interview at a hospital where she was being treated for injuries, the victim told police that she was trying to leave the home “early in the morning” and was held captive for four to five hours, WBOY reported.
Martz was charged with kidnapping and was taken to the Tygart Valley Regional Jail, where he was held without bond, according to online records.
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