Teen pleads guilty in armed theft of PlayStation

GOSHEN — One of two teenagers accused of stealing a game console from another boy has admitted to his role in the armed robbery.

Jonathan Martinez, 19, of Elkhart, pleaded guilty to armed robbery as a Level 3 felony in Elkhart County Circuit Court Thursday. He entered the plea ahead of a jury trial set for June 3.

He admitted that he took property from a 16-year-old victim at gunpoint on Feb. 2, 2023. Martinez and Eduardo Rueda Jr., 18, were arrested following the robbery in the Twin Pines mobile home community in Goshen.

The victim told police he had arranged to sell a PlayStation 5 to Rueda, but a man in a ski mask showed up at his home in a white pickup truck, pointed a gun at him and took the video game console.

Based on a photo the victim took of the fleeing vehicle as well as Flock camera footage, police determined the truck was registered to Martinez and questioned him at his home. He denied being involved in the robbery and claimed he was in Bristol at the time.

Police were led to Rueda as a suspect based on the victim’s description of the truck that he drives, which was seen on security cameras coming and going from the trailer park along with Martinez’s truck. Police interviewed Rueda and searched his phone, which uncovered conversations he had with Martinez that referred to the robbery as well as a video of Martinez inside his truck with a gun and a PlayStation.

Martinez’s plea agreement sets a seven-year cap on actual prison time. Judge Michael Christofeno agreed to set his sentencing out to July 18 to give him time to take classes for a high school equivalency degree.

“Take your life seriously and get an education,” Christofeno told him. “Otherwise you’re saying to me, ‘I’m just going to serve out my sentence and then live a life of crime.’”

Rueda is still awaiting a Dec. 16 jury trial.