Woman accused of locking boyfriend in storage unit for days charged with kidnapping in NC
This story contains mention of possible domestic violence. Those facing domestic abuse can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit its website for a virtual chat.
A North Carolina woman is facing attempted murder and kidnapping charges after allegedly locking her boyfriend in a storage unit for five days with no food and water.
Robin Deaton, 52, was arrested in Charlotte Wednesday night, according to police in Monroe, about 30 miles southeast of Charlotte.
Deaton’s arrest stems from a 911 call made around 2:15 p.m. Monday about “suspicious circumstances," according to an incident report obtained by Paste BN, which lists the victim as a 51-year-old man.
The man told police his girlfriend locked him in the unit after an argument, and after spending days in the unit, he was finally able to find his cell phone and call for help, Lt. Morgan Malone of the Monroe Police Department told Paste BN.
Officers described the storage unit as a "hoarder’s paradise," Malone told local outlet WJZY.
“The unit was double locked on the outside,” Malone told Paste BN, later adding that the man was taken to the hospital and released Monday. He was dehydrated but other than that, he was OK, police said.
Man was locked in storage unit for days with no food or water
The victim said he was with his girlfriend, Deaton, at his storage unit on Feb. 20 when they got into a fight, Malone said.
The woman asked the victim to get something from the back of the unit, then shut the door and locked it, Malone said. As she shut the door, Deaton allegedly said “This is what you get.”
According to police, there were so many items in the storage unit that as they opened the door, items began to fall out. The man lost his phone inside the storage unit and found it days later. That’s how he was able to call police for help, Malone said.
According to WJZY, the man was having trouble breathing at one point.
“I’ve been here since last week,” the man told dispatchers Monday afternoon. “I just need out of here, I can’t breathe. I haven’t had nothing to drink or anything.”
Authorities believe Deaton was going to let her boyfriend die in the storage unit, according to Malone from the Monroe Police Department. She allegedly left him no food, no water and she locked him inside and never went back to check on him, Malone told Paste BN.
Malone told WJZY the situation is a much-needed reminder about domestic violence.
“Men are also victims of domestic violence, and it has to be taken seriously,” said Malone.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on Paste BN's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.