A Poplar Bluff man sits in the Butler County jail facing several felony charges after an incident that allegedly occurred at his ex-girlfriend’s house last month.
Brett D. Roberts, 31, of the 3300 block of South Westwood Boulevard is charged with the Class A felony of first-degree robbery, the Class E felonies of unlawful use of a weapon and first-degree property damage, two counts of the unclassified felony of armed criminal action and the Class A misdemeanor of fourth-degree domestic assault in relation to the alleged incident.
According to the probable cause statement by Butler County Sheriff’s Deputy Kaleb Bridges, he was dispatched to the front lobby of the sheriff’s department in reference to a domestic assault that had allegedly occurred in the 2600 block of County Road 480 in rural Poplar Bluff.
Cassandra Soltero reportedly told Bridges that around 7 p.m. July 3, she got into an altercation with Roberts, her ex-boyfriend, and in the process Roberts allegedly damaged her vehicle.
Soltero said that around 6 p.m. that day, she was on her way home from work with Roberts and that as she arrived at her residence, she attempted to break up with Roberts and he allegedly became “extremely agitated.” Soltero said that Roberts allegedly exited the vehicle and began hitting the driver’s side window with a knife and began jumping up and down on the hood before she was able to leave and retreat to a safe location.
Soltero said that later that evening, Roberts allegedly contacted her and threatened to report his property inside her vehicle as stolen. She said she then returned to her residence and was going to drop his property off in the driveway and leave, but as she was backing out of the driveway, Roberts allegedly jumped out of the bushes and began crawling into her vehicle through the driver side window.
Soltero said she told Roberts to leave but at that point he allegedly began to brandish a black expandable baton, similar to a police baton. She said once Roberts allegedly brandished the baton, he stated he was “robbing her and to get out of the car.”
Soltero said she refused to get out of the car and that Roberts allegedly reached into the vehicle, placed it in park and took her keys. She said she remained inside the car and kept locking the door while Roberts allegedly try to unlock the doors with her keys.
Soltero then said Roberts allegedly began hitting her car with the baton, breaking her door handle off before her roommate arrived and retrieved her keys and phone for her. At that point, Roberts allegedly was forced to leave the property.
Soltero also provided an estimate that alleged Roberts did $5,080.35 in damage to her vehicle.
Roberts is being held at the Butler County jail on $50,000 bond. He is slated to be arraigned Monday morning.