Bulldozer stolen from construction site used in ‘act of vengeance,’ SC sheriff says
A Midlands man is in jail after he stole a bulldozer from a construction site and smashed it into a home in “an act of vengeance,” the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office said.
Robert Fred Robarge, 41, was charged with attempted murder, malicious injury to property (value $10,000 or more), and grand larceny (value $10,000 or more), the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
The incident happened June 9, but Robarge wasn’t arrested until a week later, according to the release.
When deputies responded to a report of a tractor driving through a shed in the Jollystreet area of Newberry, they found an unmanned bulldozer sitting on top of a shed with its tracks still running, the sheriff’s office said.
A deputy was able to scale the demolished structure and board the bulldozer and turn off the engine, according to the release.
It was discovered that the bulldozer had been stolen from a nearby construction site and was driven to Jollystreet Road, the sheriff’s office said.
While the construction vehicle was found on top of the destroyed shed, that was not the intended target. The sheriff’s office said the bulldozer had been aimed at a house, which it actually hit, causing extensive damage to the side porch and a carport before smashing into and over the block shed in the backyard.
Although no driver was at the scene, investigators collected forensic evidence that led them Robarge on June 17, according to the release.
“Our investigating deputies determined this was (an) act of revenge for allegations made in a previous case,” Sheriff Lee Foster said in the release. “This was a very dangerous and costly act of vengeance that could have cost the life of the person inside the house or someone traveling on Jollystreet Road in the early morning darkness.”
Information about the previous incident was not available.
Bond was denied and Robarge remains behind bars in the Newberry County Detention Center, jail records show.
“This criminal act shows just how far a defendant will take actions to destroy the lives of others, which will not be tolerated,” Foster said.
In addition to multiple past arrests for traffic violations, in 2019 Robarge was convicted for unlawful carrying of a pistol, Newberry County court records show.
In 2017, Robarge was charged with second-degree domestic violence, but the case was not prosecuted, according to court records.
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This story was originally published June 21, 2022 at 8:04 AM.
