Crack Dealer Charged After Holding a Knife to Woman's Neck

A 29-year-old Menomonee Falls crack dealer is facing charges after he held a knife up to his roommate’s jaw after getting into a drunken fight with his girlfriend.

Martino Chez Harrell was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Wednesday with one count of negligent handling of a weapon, one count of disorderly conduct domestic abuse, one count of criminal damage to property and one count of felony bail jumping. If convicted, he faces nearly eight years in prison and $31,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

Early Tuesday morning, Menomonee Falls police officers were called to an apartment in the N9100 block of Grand Avenue after a woman living there said her roommate was threatening to kill her with a knife. When they arrived, the woman said Harrell had just left in a tan Chevrolet, so they searched the apartment where they found a bag of marijuana on top of Harrell’s bed.

The woman said she and Harrell had been drinking vodka and beer from 3 p.m. till about 2:30 a.m. while his girlfriend hung out with them, and she decided to go to bed. Shortly afterwards the woman heard Harrell begin arguing with his girlfriend, then saw him push her around and to the ground.

The girlfriend left, then Harrell went into his room and slammed the door, breaking the frame. The girlfriend came back into the apartment and apologized for the fight, but Harrell then came out again and began yelling obscenities and spitting at the women before going back into his room.

Harrell came back out again and smacked a cell phone out of the victim’s hands, then poured a glass of beer on her and began yelling obscenities at her before getting a 9-inch serrated knife out of the kitchen and holding up to her jaw.

His girlfriend was able to separate the two, so the victim was able to grab her cell phone and call police. The two women removed Harrell from the apartment, but he then punched through the door, making a large hole.

Harrell and his girlfriend then left and she called the victim a short time later to say she was taking Harrell to a hotel. Police located the car and pulled the two over and Harrell became threatening to police while his girlfriend refused to admit to the physical abuse or let officials check her for injuries.

Harrell had a blood alcohol level of 0.16 at the time of the incident.

The victim told police she allowed Harrell to sell crack out of the apartment so he could pay for rent and she lets him live with her because he’s “basically homeless.”

He’s currently being held in Waukesha County Jail on $5,000 bail while awaiting trial.