BOZEMAN — A man living in a tent near the Bozeman Pond is facing charges for allegedly raping an intoxicated 14-year-old girl on Wednesday night, July 26, 2023.
Police detained Norlan Ely Suazo Martinez around 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday as he was reportedly attempting to gain entry to Haven, a non-profit that serves survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and stalking in Gallatin County.
Court documents say officers responded to two calls from Haven around the same time, the first one reporting Suazo Martinez’s attempt to enter the building and a second from the mother of the 14-year-old victim.
The mother reported to officers that her daughter was intoxicated and told her mother she had been raped. The victim was then taken by her mother to Bozeman Deaconess Regional Medical Center for evaluation.
A detective interviewed Suazo Martinez at the Bozeman Public Safety Center after learning what the victim’s mother had reported.
Suazo Martinez said he did not know the girl prior to meeting her near the Bozeman Pond around 7 p.m. on Wednesday. According to court documents, he said she was “pretty drunk” but that he did not provide her with alcohol. The two reportedly continued to consume alcohol together between Bozeman Pond and his tent on property owned by the Gallatin Valley Mall.
Suazo Martinez allegedly said he and the victim had sexual intercourse inside his tent, and he thought her age to be 26-27 years old. Court documents say later in the interview, he said he thought her to be 27-28 years old.
According to the detective’s report, Suazo Martinez said the victim stayed at his tent for 15 minutes before leaving around 8 p.m. He allegedly said he did not know either that the age of consent in Montana is 16 years old, or that the law prohibits engaging in sexual intercourse with someone who is too impaired to give consent.
Court documents say video from Haven shows Suazo Martinez pulling on the doors of the building with significant force. Suazo Martinez reportedly said the victim told him she lived at Haven and he was attempting to return her cell phone that she had left in his tent.
The detective arrested Suazo Martinez based on the totality of evidence on a charge of sexual intercourse without consent.
Suazo Martinez appeared in Gallatin County Justice Court on Thursday, where it was revealed he is serving a prior six-month suspended sentence from 2023. He also has prior convictions for driving under the influence. His bail was set at $100,000.
