Robert Thomas Boyle
A Hixson man who in February was charged with holding two women at gunpoint has now been charged with pouring gasoline on the heads of two other women, then reaching into his pocket where he had a lighter.
Robert Thomas Boyle, 23, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, vandalism and evading arrest.
In the latest incident on Wednesday, Brandy Mills and Lesley Caldwell said their car got a flat tire and they pulled up to Boyle's residence at 6663 Bea Lane. They said a young man came up and asked if they needed help changing the tire.
The women said Boyle then came out and asked to speak to Ms. Caldwell, his former girlfriend. She walked over to Boyle's front porch and she said Boyle proceeding to pour Coke on her. She said he then grabbed a gas can and poured gasoline all over her head.
Ms. Mills said when she saw Boyle reach in his pocket, she grabbed him and tried to pull him away from Ms. Caldwell. She said she was afraid that Boyle "was going to set her on fire."
Ms. Mills said Boyle proceeded to pour gasoline on her head as well.
Ms. Caldwell then ran to the home of a neighbor, Samara Durham, to clean herself off. Police said Boyle forced his way into the house and ran over to Ms. Caldwell, who was at the sink. He dumped dish washing liquid all over her head.
Police said Ms. Durham was yelling at Boyle to get out, and he elbowed her in the nose prior to running out of the house to his trailer, which is next door.
Ms. Durham said she followed Boyle to his trailer and he pushed her off his porch.
Boyle then saw neighbors calling police and he ran behind some trailers. Officers chased him into some woods and were finally able to catch him on the other side of a creek.
Police said Boyle had told Ms. Caldwell he wanted some CDs back. She told him she was seeing another man, and that is when he called her over to the porch where he had the gas can.
Police said when they searched Boyle's pockets they found a lighter.
The other case involved two different women. Boyle was charged with false imprisonment, aggravated assault, possession of a handgun while intoxicated, and possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.
According to the arrest report filed Feb. 5 by Chattanooga Police Officer Daniel Anderson, he was dispatched to Boyle’s home on a shots fired call, and entered the house to search for the pistol that allegedly had been fired.
While he was collecting evidence, Officer Anderson wrote, “Two females showed up, Megan Lacoupse and Summer McBay.”
“Both parties stated that the defendant held them there against their will for approximately three hours,” he reported. “The defendant went back and forth during the three-hour time period, stating that he would let them go and then would change his mind and state that they couldn’t leave.”
When Ms. Lacoupse went outside, the women told the officer, he followed and “fired two shots in her face.”
Both women eventually managed to get away from the house, according to the arrest report, and went to a nearby Waffle House where they waited until they saw police – and then returned to talk to the officers.
Officer Anderson said marijuana and other drug paraphernalia were on the defendant’s coffee table and, at the jail where Boyle was taken after he was arrested, officers found a small bag of cocaine in his holding cell.