Ex-boyfriend arrested again on domestic violence charges

Jeff Lehr, The Joplin Globe, Mo.
Updated ·1 min read

Jul. 28—Joplin police arrested a 26-year-old man Thursday night for a second time this month on charges of assaulting his estranged girlfriend.

Officers were called at 4:06 p.m. Thursday to 2615 E. Sixth St., where they contacted Tara L. Fleming, 29.

Capt. William Davis of the Joplin Police Department said Fleming was forced to flee her residence in a state of undress and seek help at a neighbor's place after her ex-boyfriend entered her home without permission and assaulted her.

She told police that Gabriel Z. Martin came in while she was showering and began tearing her place up. She confronted him about it as she got out of the shower, and Martin allegedly began punching her in her midsection and legs and tried to smother her with a pillow.

Davis said Martin then allegedly went back out to his vehicle to get a shotgun, which he used to menace Fleming while resuming the assault until she fled the house. She declined medical attention for her injuries, he said.

Martin had left the address by the time officers arrived on the scene but was located a few hours later near Seventh Street and Schifferdecker Avenue and taken into custody, Davis said. Charges of second-degree domestic assault, first-degree burglary and armed criminal action were filed on him Friday, and he remained in custody on a $100,000 cash-only bond.

Police and court records show that he had been arrested the night of July 18 on felony and misdemeanor counts of domestic assault for allegedly hitting his girlfriend multiple times and threatening her with a hammer.