A Houston man is jailed in Cincinnati after authorities say a pattern of threats, workplace appearances and an alleged attack at a woman’s home escalated into stalking and strangulation charges.
Robert Whitfield, 38, is accused of sending the woman multiple death threats, including warnings that he would shoot up her house and kill her, according to WKRC Local 12. The station reported Sunday that Whitfield is being held in the Hamilton County Jail and faces charges of menacing by stalking and strangulation.
Investigators Say Threats Followed Her To Work And Home
Investigators say Whitfield sent the woman three videos showing him outside her workplace before getting into an argument inside. Court records cited in the report say he later appeared at her home, where he allegedly strangled her.
The allegations describe a progression from threatening messages to repeated in-person contact and alleged violence. The woman’s name was not publicly identified in the report.
What Ohio Law Says About The Charges
Ohio’s menacing-by-stalking statute defines the offense around a pattern of conduct that knowingly causes someone to fear physical harm or suffer mental distress, according to Ohio law. The offense can become a fourth-degree felony when the alleged conduct includes a threat of physical harm.
Ohio separately defines strangulation as impeding normal breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the throat or neck, or by covering the nose and mouth, under the state’s strangulation statute. The degree of that charge depends on the level of harm or risk alleged and, in some circumstances, the relationship between the people involved.
Whitfield remains in custody as the case moves through Hamilton County courts. The accusations are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the charges in court.
