Posted by Travis Uresk | May 12th, 2023 | Domestic Violence |
By Travis Uresk
5/12/23
Vernal, Ut.- On 5/1/23, Cpl. Randall responded to a domestic disturbance at 640 West Main Street. When the Officer arrived on scene, Officer White advised him that the individuals involved in the domestic disturbance were 24-year-old Robert Jordan Kelleher and his girlfriend. Both had left the area before Cpl. Randall arrived on the scene.
Other Vernal City Officers located the female at a family member's home in Vernal. Cpl. Randall went to that address to speak with the female. The Cpl. asked her what had happened, and she stated she and her boyfriend, Robert, were visiting a friend at a residence on Main St. when she got into a verbal argument with another female.
The female stated she was pregnant, became over-stimulated, and decided to leave. She said Robert became upset when she left, and he started to follow her while she walked West on Main St. She said Robert grabbed her multiple times to keep her from leaving.
The victim told Robert she was leaving and wanted to go to her father’s home in Roosevelt. Robert told her she couldn’t leave and needed to stay.
Cpl. Randall asked her if Robert was grabbing her to prevent her from leaving, and she said he was.
The victim stated she told Robert not to touch her, and Robert continued to follow her from 590 West Main Street to the Chevron located at 722 West Main Street. When they reached the gas station, a silver truck pulled up, and the victim ran to the Post Office to separate herself from Robert.
Cpl. Randall spoke with a witness that was waiting in line at Beachin, and she stated while waiting, she saw the male and female walking West on Main St., and the female seemed upset and was telling the male (Robert) to leave her alone. The witness stated when the female and Robert got to Chevron, she saw Robert push the female but wasn't sure if she pushed him back.
Cpl. Randall Spoke with another person that witnessed the incident. She stated she had seen the male and female walking on the sidewalk and seen Robert grab the victim and jerk her around. She said the victim would separate herself from Robert, and Robert would grab her again. She saw Robert wrap his arm around the victim's neck and pull her into him.
Another witness stated he saw the victim and Robert near the propane tanks in the parking lot of Ace Hardware and saw the victim and Robert walk to the parking lot of Chevron. He stated he began to walk toward Chevron to intervene, but it appeared the altercation was over. He added something about the situation that did not look right. He saw the victim push off of Robert, and Robert grabbed her again, and at that time, the truck pulled into the parking lot, and the victim and Robert were separated.
Cpl. Randall spoke with the clerk at the Chevron station, and he stated he saw the victim and Robert arguing, and the victim pushed Robert away multiple times. He then said a truck pulled into the parking lot, and the victim and Robert were separated.
The driver of the silver truck also provided a statement, and she said she was leaving Ace Hardware and saw the victim and Robert having some kind of altercation. She watched Robert grab the victim and pull her back to the East multiple times. She stated the victim resisted Robert while he grabbed the victim by her shoulders and arms.
The witness also saw the victim strike Robert with a Gatorade bottle in an attempt to get away from him. Robert grabbed the victim from behind, wrapping his arms around her, and this is when she pulled into the Chevron parking lot and asked the victim if she needed any help. The witness stated the victim ran from the parking lot, and Robert informed the witness the victim was pregnant.
The witness stated Robert appeared upset and was shaking and then walked away. Then the witness drove around the corner and picked up the victim.
Due to the facts stated above and from multiple witnesses seeing the altercation, Robert Kelleher was booked into the Uintah County Jail on one count of unlawful detention.
Vernal, Ut.- On 5/6/23, Officer White responded to a report of a domestic that was taking place North of the Ashley Regional Medical Center. The complainant informed central dispatch that a male was chasing a female, trying to beat her up.
Officer White arrived on the scene where Trooper Majors had been talking with the victim on the East side of the hospital. Officer White recognized the victim from previous domestic violence encounters with her boyfriend, Robert Kelleher.
The victim stated she stayed the night at Robert's house, and when he woke up, he began to belittle her and call her a bitch.
Things eventually escalated, and she said they had been near the hospital when Robert and the victim verbally argued. It got to the point that she attempted to run away, and Robert attempted to keep her from leaving. He grabbed her backpack and jerked her backward, which caused the strap to break off.
Officer White asked the victim if there had been any other physical contact between them, and she stated there had not been.
There had also been a witness that had stopped and said they had watched Robert and the victim hitting and kicking at one another.
During the conversation with the victim, she stated she was pregnant with Robert's baby.
Officer White spoke with Robert, who stated that he and the victim had been arguing, and he was trying to hug her, and that is when the backpack got broken. The Officer clarified with Robert that the backpack belonged to the victim, and Robert said it did.
Robert was asked if there had been any other physical contact between the two of them, and Robert said that she had slapped him once, but other than that, there had not been any other violent contact between them during this incident. While Officer White spoke with Robert, he stated he and the victim had been trying to work on their relationship since the victim became pregnant.
Officer White stated, "Four witnesses had stopped and completed statements which indicated that there had been some sort of aggressive physical contact between Robert and the victim." He also wrote, "There have been many other incidents involving suspected domestic violence cases between the two as well as confirmed cases which resulted in the arrest of at least one of the parties involved."
Robert was informed he was under arrest and was instructed to place his hands behind his back. He was then placed in handcuffs and transported to the Uintah County Jail, where he was booked on the charges of:
-Assault (domestic violence) for having committed an act with unlawful force or violence that inflicted bodily injury on an individual or that created a substantial risk of bodily injury to an individual. That charge is eligible or enhancement due to the victim having been pregnant and Robert knowing that she was pregnant at that time. Additionally, that charge is eligible for domestic violence enhancement for having committed an assault on a person with whom he had previously been engaged in a sexual relationship.
-Criminal mischief (domestic violence) for having intentionally and unlawfully tampered with the property of another, which caused, or intended to cause, a pecuniary loss of less than $500.
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