By Nathan Hardin
nhardin@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Authorities said a Greensboro man who claimed he was robbed on Interstate 85 Sunday night lied to officers.
The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said 43-year-old Irving Martinez, of Old Oakridge Road, filed a false police report to officers when he said four men pulled him out of his car and beat him.
Deputies said they are meeting with the District Attorney’s Office soon to discuss possible charges.
Martinez told officers he stopped on the shoulder of I-85 near the Julian Road exit to sleep about 10 p.m. About an hour later, he claimed two men wearing hoodies and two others wearing hockey jerseys pulled up in a blue Ford Explorer and dragged him out of the car.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol located Martinez’s rental 2012 Toyota Camry a few miles south near Lane Street. Martinez had been on the northbound side of I-85.
The 43-year-old didn’t have any visible injuries, deputies said, but claimed to have pain in his back. He was taken to Rowan Regional Medical Center for evaluation.
Rowan County Sheriff’s Office Capt. John Sifford said detectives learned the information was fake during the course of the investigation.