An Ida man was convicted of attempted simple burglary Wednesday, February 12, 2020, in Caddo District Court.

The five-woman, one-man jury in District Judge Charles Tutt’s courtroom deliberated 45 minutes before returning with its verdict that Joshua Dean Martin, 23, attempted to break into his estranged father’s house in Hosston, also in north Caddo Parish, and tried to steal two rifles.

A mail carrier saw Martin attempt the burglary and identified him in court. Evidence also showed that Martin called his father to ensure the father was away from the home, before attempting the burglary, and that after the attempted burglary, he denied his guilt to his father, before later confessing his crime to the investigating Caddo Sheriff’s  deputy.

Martin will return  to court March 13, 2020, when he will face a sentence of up to six years in prison, with or without hard labor, and/or a fine of up to $1,000.

Prosecutors were Assistant District Attorneys William Gaskins and Brittany Arvie. Martin was defended by Mary Harried.