PROVO, Utah, Feb. 14, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A 25-year-old Provo man was booked into the Utah County jail Wednesday for investigation of the alleged aggravated kidnapping and assault of his girlfriend.
Provo police were alerted to a missing female by her father, who had received a “concerning call” from her, and said no one had seen her for about three hours.
At about the same time, dispatch was alerted by a caller that there was a woman at his apartment with a bloodied face, and his roomate, Melvin John Robinson, had asked for help carrying his girlfriend from the apartment.
The caller said Robinson “made comments about burning the female and putting her in a ditch.” The roommate said he asked Robinson if the female was dead “because of injuries to her face and the amount of blood he saw,” arrest documents say.
Robinson reportedly told his roommate the woman had been hit by a car. The caller told dispatch that was when he stepped away to call 911.
“As officers arrived at the scene, they saw Melvin carrying the female to a vehicle. When officers told Melvin to stop, he dropped the female and fled on foot.”
Paramedics treated the woman, who said Robinson had hit her in the head with a skateboard, choked her, and she said she thought she was going to die.
The woman’s eyes were swollen to the point she said she could not see, and she thought her arm was broken, the probable cause statement says.
“The female’s injuries required surgery at the hospital,” court documents say.
Robinson was apprehended and taken into custody, and he declined to talk with officers.
“A skateboard with blood on it was found in the victim’s vehicle, and there was a large amount of blood inside the vehicle,” charging documents say.
The victim’s parents told police they became concerned after an initial phone call because their daughter did not sound well, “and after the phone call, they received a text message saying Melvin and their daughter would be taking a private trip for awhile.”
Robinson was arrested at 1:13 a.m. Wednesday for investigation of:
- Aggravated kidnapping, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony
- Failure to stop at command of law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor
A news release issued by the Provo Police Department says a charge of mayhem may also be filed.
“The investigation is ongoing, with consideration of further charges, the PPD statement says.
As always, charges will be determined in a review by the County Attorney’s Office.
Robinson is being held without bail.
