Two men received additional prison sentences following an incident at a juvenile detention center in Cedar City. The 2024 altercation resulted in the hospitalization of two staff members.
“One staff member suffered a broken nose, while the other was strangled using a lanyard and was violently kicked in the head,” prosecutor Trajan Evans said on Dec. 11 during Martinez’s hearing. Evans argued for the strictest possible sentence.
Daniel Martinez, 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony assault in August. He was sentenced on Dec. 11 for up to 20 years in prison for the combined counts.
Turner Esteban Simons, 19, who has pleaded guilty to one count of assault by a prisoner, a third-degree felony, was sentenced on Oct. 28 to serve 0-5 years in Utah State Prison. District Judge Meb Anderson sentenced both men.
Martinez, a previously convicted double murderer, and Simons were incarcerated at the Southwest Utah Youth Center located in Cedar City. The attack took place on July 31, 2024. Martinez was 19, and Simons was 18. Both men were accused of hitting, kicking and throwing objects at the jail staff in a planned tandem attack. Two staff members were seriously injured.
The men were reportedly celebrating and laughing as police and medical staff reported to the scene.
“While officers took pictures of bloody staff members, the defendant yelled ‘Yep!’ and nodded his head in admiration of his crime,” said Evans.
Simons also has an extensive criminal record with 11 adjudications for assault, as well as robbery and firearm charges.
Martinez is currently being held at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City, serving two consecutive 25-years-to-life sentences after killing two men at a party in Draper in April 2022.
Simons is currently incarcerated at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison.
Author: Andrew Streeter
Photo courtesy of Iron County Sheriff’s Office
Editor: Hannah Clove
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