Bronson man charged with battering woman and child; victim's silent phone call alerted deputies
On Sunday, May 16, the Levy County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call that was made by a victim of domestic abuse. The victim dialed 911 during a dispute with her live in boyfriend, 28 year-old Robert Burkhart. She said nothing and quietly placed the phone in her pocket. The dispatcher heard the sounds of the argument and dispatched patrol units to the Bronson reidence where the incident was ongoing.
Deputies arrived to find a severely battered woman, with visible bruising over most of her body, along with a three year old child who was in similar condition.
Deputies werre forced to physically restrain Mr. Burkhart, who hurled profanities at deputies and orderered his girlfriend to not cooperate with law enforcement. Burkhart was placed under arrest charged with three counts of felony aggravated battery, one count of felony child neglect, and two misdemeanor counts of battery, with his bond set at $2.28 million.
"This is another example of the dedicated and professional service and alertness of this 911 dispatcher and all of our 911 personnel," said Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum. “Certainly not to be forgotten is the victim in this case who had the courage and foresight to call 911 and leave her phone line open.”