A warrant was issued and served on Jan. 4 for a Bloomfield man on charges of strangulation, sexual battery, domestic battery, and interference in reporting a crime. 

Robert L. Grantham Jr., 54, was arrested by Bloomfield Police Department Officer Ryan Montgomery following a complaint that was reported in the early morning hours of Dec. 14. Montgomery responded to a call of an alleged assault. 

The complainant reported had recently moved out of Grantham’s residence and on Dec. 13 received a text message from him regarding a package for her that had been delivered to his address. She told Montgomery she used her lunch break at work to drive to the residence at 7 p.m. and pick up the package but was 15 minutes late returning to work because Grantham hugged her real tight and would not let go. The victim told Montgomery she was unable to retrieve her package. She also noted Grantham took her glasses and would not give them back. 

After her shift ended at approximately 11:30 p.m., she went back to the residence but left when Grantham failed to return her text message. She returned to the residence again around midnight when Grantham called and invited her to pick up the package and her glasses. 

The victim told Mongtomery that once inside the residence, Grantham forced her onto the couch beside him. She could smell an odor of beer coming from him and stated he kept attempting to kiss her while she refused. She alleged he attempted to take her clothes off, pulling her sweatshirt over her head and unclasping her bra. He attempted to remove her pants but was unsuccessful. She said he forced her down face first on the living room couch by sitting on her butt/lower back area, pinning her on the living room couch. According to the probable cause affidavit, while Grantham was sitting on top of her, he grabbed her breasts. She said Grantham’s mother entered the room, which gave her an opportunity to put her shirt back on. 

The victim stated he then grabbed her from behind by the throat, dragging her from the living room to his bedroom. The victim stated Grantham continued grabbing her by the throat and the back of the head throwing her down, bouncing her head off of the floor approximately three or four times. She said this resulted in knots on the back of her head. She said she could not breathe after being thrown down and thought she had a broken rib. She said she had to take shallow breaths, and when he grabbed her throat, he would squeeze making it hard to breathe. Throughout, she said she told Grantham to stop. 

While in the bedroom, the victim said she had her phone in her hands and told Grantham she was going to call the police if he did not let her go. She alleged he shoved her backward onto the bed when she attempted to call 911. She was unable to call 911 but said Grantham opened the bedroom door and told her to leave.

While speaking with the victim, Montgomery observed bruising and scratch marks on her right arm and felt a bump on the back left side of her head. She complained of pain on the left side of her ribs and pointed out a red mark under her left breast. No marks were visible on her neck. Photographs of her injuries were taken.

At approximately 3:29 a.m., Montgomery and Greene County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Michael Stanley went to Grantham’s residence to speak with him. Montgomery said he announced himself as police and knocked several times on the front door. There was no answer so he attempted to call Grantham’s phone. The call went to voicemail so Montgomery left a voicemail instructing him to contact him back in regards to the incident. He failed to make contact with the department.  

Follow-up photos were taken of the victim on Dec. 18. At that time, Montgomery observed bruising of her upper left arm, upper left rib, and right side of the neck. Montgomery wrote in the probable cause affidavit that these bruises were not visible at the scene on Dec. 14. The victim informed Montgomery she went to the hospital to get checked out on Dec. 15 due to the pain she was feeling from the incident. 

Grantham was arrested on Jan. 4 by Officer Montgomery and transported to Greene County Jail where his bond was set at $10,000 surety with 10 percent allowed. 

When he appears in Greene Superior Court, he will be formally charged with: 

• Strangulation, a Level 6 Felony

• Sexual Battery-victim compelled to submit by force or imminent threat or force, a Level 6 Felony

• Domestic battery, a Class A Misdemeanor

• Interference with the reporting of a crime, a Class A Misdemeanor