A 20-year-old Kansas City man pleaded not guilty Monday to first-degree burglary, second-degree domestic assault and stealing charges after police say he entered a family member's home where a victim was staying to get away from him, then assaulted the victim, stole a cell phone, and threatened to kill both the victim and the victim's unborn child. Rosario N. Avalo-Bradley is being held on a $75,000 bond following the alleged Aug. 9 attack in Kansas City.
According to a probable cause statement cited by Northwest MO Info, the victim reported that Avalo-Bradley assaulted them, stole their phone, and threatened to kill them and their unborn child. Officers who responded to the scene observed two large holes in a downstairs wall and damage to a door, and the victim was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for multiple injuries. Avalo-Bradley entered his not guilty plea during a Clay County arraignment Monday.
Prior Warrants Add to Legal Exposure
Police records show Avalo-Bradley already had two outstanding warrants for domestic assault and weapons violations at the time of his arrest, per the same account. A separate account mentions a 16-year-old who went missing in March 2022.
Under Missouri Revised Statutes § 569.160, first-degree burglary is a Class B felony punishable by five to 15 years in prison when someone unlawfully enters a structure with intent to commit a crime while a non-participant is present or physical harm is threatened, according to FindLaw. The second-degree domestic assault count carries up to seven years in prison and fines as high as $10,000 under § 565.073, as detailed by Combs Waterkotte, which also notes that stealing property directly from a person is a Class D felony punishable by up to seven years under § 570.030 — a statute discussed alongside the alleged theft of the victim's cell phone.
Bond Hearing Set for Next Week
Avalo-Bradley has a bond appearance hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. on Aug. 18 in Clay County. All felony cases originating in the county are adjudicated through Missouri's 7th Judicial Circuit Court, based at the James S. Rooney Justice Center in Liberty, according to the Hartley Law Firm.
That same circuit created a specialized Domestic Violence Court in October 2023, under Division 3, to expedite interventions and connect victims with dedicated support resources, the Excelsior Springs Standard reported. It remains unclear whether prosecutors will seek enhanced penalties tied to Avalo-Bradley's outstanding warrants or the alleged threat against the victim's unborn child, and whether his case will be handled through that dedicated docket.
A Pattern Reflected in Statewide Numbers
Missouri's domestic-violence prevalence, statewide law-enforcement data and homicide figures are part of the broader discussion of the issue.
The threat allegedly made against the victim's pregnancy in this case is part of a broader discussion of domestic violence. Closer to home, domestic-assault referrals across the Kansas City metro area are another aspect of the issue.
