WHITE CO., Ill. - A Norris City sex offender probably has other things to worry about than whether or not he's just like his late father...unless, of course his late father was a sex offender and bred prolifically with people considerably younger than him.
That's not something that's known at this time and probably isn't the case anyway, but it appears Roman D. Yates, 36 of rural Norris City, will let anything and everything set him off. And that's just what happened when the registered sex offender behaved badly on December 28 toward his babymomma, then stepped in it when a deputy came to talk to him about an unrelated matter.
Of course, with his history, which you can read about here, no one is saying that Yates is a MENSA candidate...and his choice of people to breed with doesn't seem to be faring any better.
White County Deputy George Spencer traveled to the rural residence on County Road 1050E in reference to another incident, and during that investigation, information regarding a separate unrelated criminal offense was brought to his attention.
Spencer was there to speak to Yates and Tasha M. Collins, 23, and while speaking with Collins about the unrelated incident, she stated "I thought you were here because of the fight we had." Spencer said he didn't know anything about a fight; and Collins spilled it, stating that she and Yates had been involved in a verbal argument earlier inside the residence. Collins said that the argument became more heated, and she told Yates he was "acting just like his late father." Collins then said that Yates struck her a number of times with an ope palm on the left side of the head. Spencer could observe her throat but didn't see any visible injuries; however, he did see a bruise on the inside of her leeft ear, which is where she stated Yates had struck her.
Collins stated Yates had been physically violent with her before, but, she said, "he usually doesn't leave marks." She stated she s also pregnant, and that Yates is aware of this. She noted the fight had taken place in the living room of the residence, and that a baby had been in his bassinet in the living room at the time. Two other children had also been in the room when the fight started, and, Collins said, when Yates became physical, one of the children had told Yates to leave Collins alone. Collins stated the child had taken the other child into a bedroom to get him away from Yates.
Collins told Spencer that when she was able to get away from Yates, she left the residence, going to a residence next door and using the telephone there to call Yates' mother, Helen Miller to tell her about the situation. Miller came to the residence after the call, Spencer noted in his report.
When Spencer spoke with Yates and advised him of Collins' statements, Yates said they'd been involved in a verbal argument inside the residence earlier in the day, and he confirmed he'd become physical with Collins after she compared him to his late father. Yates said he had placed his hands around Collins' throat and struck her in the head with his hand, but did not intend to become physical with her, only that he'd become enraged after the comparison. He acknowledge that he shouldn't have physically attacked Collins, and that he knew she was pregnant with his child.
As many repeatedly battered women do, Collins advised that she didn't want to make a written statement about the incident and that she didn't want to file charges against Yates. However, Spencer advised that Yates would be charged with Domestic Battery due to Collins' statements and the visible injury to Collins' ear, with both of them stating they understood.
Yates was toted off to jail, and his case is pending in White County Circuit Court.