Prosecutors: Brighton Park man made ex drive him to buy drugs

A Brighton Park man threatened his ex-girlfriend with a knife, took her cash and forced her to drive him to buy drugs.

And it was not the first time the 34-year-old had menaced the woman, Cook County prosecutors said Friday.

The victim, a 50-year-old woman, came home Thursday to find her ex-boyfriend, Norberto Martinez, waiting in her kitchen wearing gloves and holding a large knife, prosecutors said at a hearing in Leighton Criminal Courthouse.

Martinez allegedly took cash from the woman’s purse and demanded her keys. When she refused to give him the keys, he demanded she drive him to buy drugs, prosecutors said.

After getting a ride to make the narcotics buy, Martinez had the woman drive him home, then told her not to call police, prosecutors said. But the victim returned home and called police, and Martinez was arrested.

Martinez, who was charged with unlawful restraint, has prior convictions for assaulting the same woman, prosecutors said, and the victim had a pending order of protection that barred him from her home in the 2400 block of West 42nd Street.

Judge John F. Lyke Jr., ordered Martinez held without bond, citing his prior convictions for assaulting the woman, though the judge noted that Martinez had not been formally served with notice of the order of protection until he arrived at court on Friday.

“The facts here are disturbing to say the least, especially with the defendant’s history with this victim,” Lyke said before ruling on his no bond order.