Islander Laura Clarice Martin was arrested at her home day care facility Nov. 21, charged with one count of second degree assault – domestic violence, and one count of third degree malicious mischief. She was booked into King County Jail and was released the next day. Martin, 45, operated a day care in her home in the 3700 block of 78th Ave. S.E.
On the morning of Nov. 21 at about 10:20 a.m., Martin called Mark Traxler, a man she had been dating for six weeks, upset over a state inspection of her daycare that had not gone well.
Kara Klotz, the media relations person for the Washington State Department of Early Learning, said the department has suspended Martin’s license, and that the notice will be hand-delivered to Martin Nov. 28. Martin was put on a no referral status after the inspection.
“From what I’ve seen and heard, there were several violations to license rules,” Klotz said. Martin does not have a prior criminal record. Klotz said individuals with a criminal background are not eligible for day care licensing.
According to the police report, Martin called Traxler, crying over the inspection, and asked him to come over and help her. When Traxler arrived several hours later, he observed that she had been drinking, so he helped her to her bedroom to lie down. Martin wanted Traxler to call the parents of the children in her care to come and get them, and when he refused she “went crazy” the report said. She grabbed a kitchen knife and repeatedly stabbed her bed, the wall in her bedroom and herself on the hand and right leg. Traxler told the day care assistant, Chelsea Flood, to call 911. He started to leave, and Martin came after him, hitting his truck several times with the knife, breaking the passenger side mirror and radio antennae. Realizing he’d left his cell phone in her house, Traxler went inside to get it with Martin chasing him and hitting him on the right side of the face causing several lacerations to his cheek. Once Traxler retrieved his phone, he called 911.
When police arrived Martin first said Traxler had stabbed her, but she later stated it “was all me — he knows how to push my buttons. Just arrest me.”
The police report said there were six to seven “very young children” in the home at the time of Martin’s arrest. A kitchen knife with an 8-inch blade was recovered.
