Law Offices of Jeffrey N. Ivashuk, P.A.
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SUSPECTED STALKER CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING TRISH POWER Herald Staff Writer Twelve days after he was released from jail to await trial on a charge of stalking a one-time girlfriend, a Dania man has been arrested for breaking into the woman's house, abducting her in handcuffs and hiding her in a field for hours until she escaped. The victim is a woman Robert Kevin Kahles, 26, met about a year ago, Broward Sheriff's Office deputies said. Michelle Grist, 38, said she met Kahles, who investigators describe as homeless and unemployed, during a brief separation from her boyfriend of 17 years. The relationship lasted about a week. "He hasn't left me alone since," Grist said Friday. Kahles' arrest Thursday only hints at the harassment Grist has faced in the past 12 months, she said. There have been threatening telephone calls, broken windows and door locks, sleepless nights and frayed nerves, she said. Kahles was arrested at 3:32 a.m. May 22 on a loitering and prowling charge at Northwest Sixth Street and Eighth Avenue in Dania, the block where Grist lives. Kahles posted a $25 bond and was released from jail. The state's anti-stalking law was not on the books at that time. Since then, Florida became one of the first states to outlaw stalking, a practice defined as willful, malicious and repeated harassment of another person. Grist told police in July that Kahles had burglarized her home and continued to harass her. Detectives investigated and filed charges of burglary and stalking with the Broward State Attorney's Office. The court issued a warrant for burglary only. For some reason, prosecutors would not accept the stalking charge. |
Kahles came to the attention of investigators again on Aug. 25, when he began following Grist and screaming at her as she bicycled
along Griffin Road near Interstate 95, according to deputies. Kahles and Grist fought, Grist broke away and called police, who arrested Kahles on the outstanding warrant. Detectives later added felony aggravated stalking and battery charges. Kahles' public defender, Jeffrey Ivashuk, got the court to reduce the felony stalking charge to a misdemeanor. Kahles was released on a $250 bond Nov. 28 -- on the condition that he stay away from Grist, said detective Joe Roberts of BSO's major crimes unit. He didn't, Roberts and Grist say. At 3:45 a.m. Wednesday, Kahles pushed his way into Grist's home through a bedroom window, woke her, gagged her, handcuffed her hands behind her back, tied her legs together and threw her out of the window, Roberts said. "Then he packed me a bag," Grist said. He also straightened up the room before he left, Roberts said. Kahles carried a handcuffed Grist, her legs tied and her mouth stuffed with cloth, to a field near her home, investigators said, and kept her there for more than three hours. He untied her and walked her toward U.S. 1, threatening to sell her to drug dealers, Roberts said. A passing car gave Grist the opportunity she needed. She ran for safety to a nearby service station. Kahles fled the other way, police said. Dania firefighters were called to cut the handcuffs from Grist's wrists. Kahles was arrested at Tigertail Park Thursday evening after sheriff's deputies recognized him from fliers they distributed with his picture. Kahles was being held without bail Friday night in the Broward County Jail on charges of aggravated stalking, armed burglary and kidnapping. "The guy is going to kill me, and they keep letting him out," Grist said. |