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Barger formally charged
A string of Friday incidents including allegedly heavy drug and alcohol use, holding his girlfriend at knifepoint, intentionally causing a head-on collision and breaking windows in a residence have a Fillmore man charged with seven crimes, five of them felonies.
Charges were formally filed Tuesday against 33-year-old Robert Barger following his Friday arrest. These include Level 3 felony criminal confinement, Level 5 felony intimidation, Level 6 felony criminal recklessness, Level 6 felony driving with a BAC of .15 or more, Class A misdemeanor driving with a BAC of .15 or more, Level 6 felony driving while intoxicated endangering a person and Class A misdemeanor driving while intoxicated endangering a person.
Documents filed in Putnam Superior Court reveal the seriousness of the allegations behind these charges.
Barger was arrested at 7:43 p.m. Friday, initially taken to Putnam County Hospital for treatment of his injuries, and then booked in the jail at 2:38 a.m. Saturday.
The investigation began at 7:21 p.m., when officers were called to Fillmore for an ongoing domestic situation. They were soon also advised of a head-on collision involving the two parties.
According to the report filed by Deputy Jeffery Freeman, Barger’s girlfriend told officers Barger had been holding her at knifepoint since about 4 p.m. She told officers that with her children in the home, he held the knife to her neck and ransacked her bedroom looking for a “baggie.”
Barger then reportedly forced the victim into her SUV and drove around for an hour. During this time, he allegedly told her “I hope we get in a police chase because we are both going to die.”
She told officers he was driving at a high rate of speed, running people off the road, running stop signs and committing multiple traffic violations.
As they were returning to her residence, Barger noticed other vehicles on the scene and refused to stop to let her out. As he slowed to turn, she jumped from the moving vehicle in an attempt to get away.
She flagged down a passing motorist and got into the car with him and his three children.
In the meantime, Barger allegedly turned his vehicle around, accelerated and rammed the car. After initial impact, he allegedly rammed the other vehicle again.
Barger then fled the scene, before driving down an embankment a short distance down the road.
Officers arrived and quickly found the crash victims — the girlfriend, the good samaritan and his three children — but could not immediately locate Barger.
They then heard a loud argument from behind a nearby house. Freeman, PCSD Sgt. Kyle Gibbons and Greencastle Officer Darrel Bunten responded to the back yard to see the homeowner holding Barger at gunpoint.
When the officers arrived, the owner lowered his weapon and left Barger to the authorities.
He was placed in wrist restraints and put into Freeman’s vehicle. At this point, he volunteered to Freeman that he had consumed about a half-gallon of vodka that day as well as twice injecting methamphetamine.
An ambulance arrived for Barger, and Bunten rode along to the hospital to ensure the safety of the medical staff.
Officers also discovered that prior to their arrival, Barger had arrived back at his girlfriend’s residence and attempted to gain entry, punching a hole in the plate glass window and trying to kick in the side door.
At some point during the incidents, he also apparently punched a hole in a television, broke a computer and threw clothes and personal items all over the bedroom.
At the hospital, Barger reportedly became violent and was therefore restrained.
His blood sample revealed a blood alcohol content of .217 as well as a positive test for methamphetamine.
Among the victims, Barger’s girlfriend reportedly sustained injuries to her back, arms, legs and buttocks, including an apparent compression fracture in her spine. The driver of the car believed he had broken his left arm.
Officers did not list specific injuries for any of the children involved, but they were described as being under extreme duress.
No court date has been set in the case. Barger remains lodged at the Putnam County Jail.