A Fremont County man accused of wrapping both hands around the neck of a 7-month-pregnant woman in the parking lot of the Riverton child development center faces up to 20 years in prison.
William Joseph Yellowrobe, born in 1997, made his initial appearance Friday in Fremont County Circuit Court on felony charges of aggravated assault and battery and strangulation of a household member.
At least three witnesses told local police they watched out windows from inside the Child Development Services of Fremont County building on Jackson Avenue in Riverton on Thursday as Yellowrobe allegedly assaulted the pregnant woman.
“Dispatch stated they received several calls about a male assaulting a pregnant female,” Riverton Police Sgt. Charles Marshall wrote in an affidavit of probable cause filed in Yellowrobe’s case.
“Witnesses state the male had a tattoo on his face,” the affidavit says, adding that when police arrived, Yellowrobe unprompted approached them with his hands up.
“Yellowrobe then sat on the ground, took his shirt off and laid face down on the ground,” the affidavit says.
While securing him with handcuffs, officers saw blood on him from an injury to his finger, which Yellowrobe explained.
“He stated the injury occurred when he attempted to stop someone from self-harm with a knife,” the affidavit says.
Both Hands
After securing Yellowrobe, police talked to three witnesses who said they were inside the building and saw the alleged assault out windows.
They all gave similar accounts, Marshall wrote.
Witness 2 “stated she observed Yellowrobe choking (the woman) with two hands around her neck while they were facing each other,” the affidavit says. “She reported hearing Yellowrobe repeatedly tell (the woman) to ‘shut the F up’ while (the woman) attempted to get away from him.”
Witness 3 reported basically the same information, adding she also saw the man take the pregnant woman’s phone from her and smash it on the ground, the affidavit says.
Staff at the child development center also turned over video surveillance of the incident, which police are reviewing, Marshall wrote.
The woman had red marks “towards the bottom of her neck just above her collar bones,” the affidavit adds.
Each felony charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. That means if convicted and given maximum consecutive sentences, Yellowrobe could potentially get 20 years in prison.
He’s being held in the Fremont County Detention Center on a $20,000 cash bond, and is next scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 5.
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.
