St. Paul City Council candidate David Martinez was arrested for the third time in a little over a month on Tuesday, after allegedly visiting his children's school in violation of an order for protection.

Police were sent to Hamline Elementary School in St. Paul about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, but Martinez had already left, according to St. Paul police Sgt. Mike Ernster. Officers checked the area and found Martinez at a coffee shop at Snelling and Minnehaha avenues, and took him into custody without incident.

Martinez's behavior in recent weeks has drawn attention to an otherwise quiet City Council race. He is running against Shirley Erstad and Mitra Jalali Nelson for the Fourth Ward seat vacated by former Council President Russ Stark.

In early July, Martinez was banned from the St. Paul Public Library system for a month and from Target Field for a year, after altercations with security officers. The library incident led to Martinez's arrest and a citation for disorderly conduct and trespassing.

On July 16, Martinez was arrested after a seminude photo of his estranged wife, along with a link to the restraining order she filed against him, appeared on his campaign website. Charges have not been filed in that incident.

Erstad, Nelson and Mayor Melvin Carter have called for Martinez to drop out of the council race, but he has continued campaigning. Martinez told the Star Tribune he believes his campaign website was hacked.

Martinez

Emma Nelson • 612-673-4509