Towamencin suspect arrested for alleged assault on girlfriend

Robert Dicks, 39, facing assault and DUI charges in connection with July incident

A 39-yearold Towamencin man is facing several criminal counts in connection with a July incident i n which he allegedly punched a woman several times inside his car, bloodying her, according to court documents.

Robert Lee Dicks of the 1000 block of Towamencin Avenue has been charged with misdemeanor counts of simple assault and driving under the influence, as well as summary counts of harassment and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

Towamencin police said in an affidavit of probable cause that in the early morning of July 14, cops were dispatched to the area near where Dicks resides after a woman reported having been punched by a male who had left the area in a silver Buick sedan.

Officers spotted the vehicle on Towamencin Avenue and initiated a traffic stop, then spoke to the driver, who identified himself as Dicks and told police there was “no issue” and that he was giving his girlfriend a ride home, according to the affidavit.

The woman in the passenger seat appeared visibly upset and told police she had called 911 but also claimed there was “no issue,” but cops observed blood on her chest and on her shirt, at which point Dicks admitted the pair had gotten into a verbal argument earlier but that it had not become physical, court documents indicate.

Police said Dicks smelled of alcohol and had glassy, bloodshot eyes during the traffic stop, and that he admitted to drinking two beers earlier in the night.

W hile speaking with police at the scene, the woman said that Dicks had punched her several times in the face inside the car, resulting in a cut inner lip that led to the blood on her shirt, and she complained of pain to her jaw from the alleged assault, according to the affidavit.

The woman further told cops that Dicks, her onagain, off-again boyfriend, had assaulted her on previous occasions, and she stated repeatedly that she was afraid of Dicks, was tired of being abused and that she wanted to press charges against him, police said.

She alleged that “Dicks also told her not to say anything because he knew the police and we would not help her,” the affidavit states.

Due to the woman’s visible injuries and the statement she provided to officers, Dicks was taken into custody for assault.

Police said that Dicks submitted to one field sobriety test but would not perform others due to a knee injury, and a portable breath test indicated the presence of alcohol in his system. Dicks refused to provide a blood sample, according to court documents.

Dick s had a ll four charges filed against him held for trial by Lansdale District Judge Edward Levine at a preliminary hearing, records indicate.

He’s free on $10,000 bond while awaiting his formal arraignment next month in Montgomery County court.