By Tracie Sullivan, For Iron County Today
A Cedar City man convicted in a 2022 double homicide received new consecutive prison sentences Tuesday for attacking staff members at the Southwest Utah Youth Center.
Prosecutors said the July assault was planned in advance and left several employees bloodied and hospitalized.
Daniel Martinez, 21, was sentenced to one to fifteen years for aggravated assault by a prisoner and zero to five years for assault by a prisoner.
Fifth District Court Judge Meb Anderson ordered the terms to run consecutive to each other and consecutive to the lengthy sentences Martinez is already serving for double aggravated murder. Consecutive time requires Martinez to serve each sentence one after the other, extending the total length of his imprisonment.
According to court documents filed in support of the charges, Martinez and co-defendant Turner Simons were housed at the secure youth facility on July 31 when they carried out a coordinated attack during a staff transition.
Surveillance footage showed the pair assaulting three employees, including one staff member whose facial bones were fractured and another who was strangled with a lanyard and repeatedly kicked in the head.
A third staff member was also injured while trying to intervene. Officers arriving on scene found victims bleeding heavily, and all required medical treatment.
Iron County prosecutor Trajan Evans said the staff kept the situation from escalating further while waiting for help.
“I’m grateful that the staff members were able to hold off their attackers for what probably felt like an eternity,” Evans said. “Officers with the Cedar City Police Department, including Chief Darrin Adams, arrived within minutes to render aid and detain Martinez and Simons.”
Evans told the court Martinez showed no remorse during or after the assault. EMTs reported that Martinez laughed while first responders documented the injuries and yelled, “that’s how we do it,” Evans said during closing arguments.
Officers also said he bragged that staff members “couldn’t stop them” and referenced his already substantial prison time, telling police he did not care what additional charges he faced.
“I was shocked at their callousness and lack of remorse,” he said. “They made it very clear they did not care who they hurt.”
Evans asked the court to impose consecutive sentences, citing the severity of the attack, the number of victims, and Martinez’s criminal history.
Martinez had been convicted in late May of killing two people at an Airbnb party in Draper in April 2022.
A 3rd District Court judge sentenced him in July to 25 years to life on each of two aggravated-murder counts, ordering the terms to run consecutively for a combined 50 years to life in prison prior to this week’s sentencing.
“His history, character and conduct show he is not interested in rehabilitation,” Evans argued.
He noted that even after being transferred to the Utah State Prison, Martinez has continued picking up violations, including possessing a weapon inside the facility.
Anderson agreed that consecutive time was warranted, noting the planned nature of the assault, the extent of the injuries and the defendant’s prior record.
Simons, charged in the same incident, was sentenced in January to one to fifteen years plus an additional zero to five years, also ordered to run consecutively.