Ascension Parish Councilman Joel Robert turned himself in to authorities yesterday and was booked on an aggravated assault charge tied to an alleged road-rage run-in outside a Gonzales convenience store. Investigators say the case dates back to a Jan. 2 confrontation in a parking lot, where a driver reported feeling threatened. The incident remains under active investigation.
Police account of the parking-lot confrontation
According to WAFB, Gonzales police say the dispute began when a driver was leaving a construction zone on Jan. 2 and unintentionally cut off another vehicle before pulling into the Chips To Go parking lot at 3839 S. Burnside Avenue. Officers allege Robert walked up to the man, hit the driver's side window with his hand and then, after the driver tried to snap a photo of Robert's license plate, drove erratically through the lot and "intentionally aimed" his vehicle at the man, nearly hitting him. The outlet reports the 45-year-old councilman later voluntarily surrendered and was booked into the Ascension Parish Jail.
Booking and bond
Parish jail records list Robert as booked on a single count of aggravated assault with bond set at $2,500, according to WBRZ. The station says its reporters have contacted Robert and Gonzales police for comment, but officials have not released a more detailed public statement on the arrest.
Prior controversy on social media
The arrest follows another recent flare-up involving Robert's online activity. Weeks earlier, he was sued over a Facebook post that a parish employee's husband claimed was defamatory, the station's I-Team reported. In a January story, WAFB outlined the defamation allegations and noted Robert had publicly vowed to fight the lawsuit. The I-Team also pointed out that Robert was censured in 2020 after what was described as a profanity-laced confrontation with a parish employee.
What the charge means
Under Louisiana law, aggravated assault is defined as an assault carried out with a dangerous weapon (La. R.S. 14:37), according to legal summaries of state criminal statutes. Legal analysts note that using a vehicle in a way that threatens someone or appears to try to strike them can be treated as using a dangerous weapon, which can elevate a basic assault allegation in a road-rage situation. LegalClarity details how those provisions and related court precedent have been applied in comparable Louisiana cases.
Investigation continues
Gonzales Police Department investigators continue to examine what happened in the Jan. 2 parking lot incident and have asked anyone with information to contact them, local media report. WBRZ says it has reached out to Robert for his side of the story and describes the situation as a developing case.
