Charles City man pleads guilty to abduction as part of plea agreement

A Charles City man who was involved in an altercation with an ex-girlfriend in November 2014 accepted a plea deal during Dec. 4 proceedings in Charles City Circuit Court.

Warren Arturo Smith, 37, of the 8500 block of Lewis Tyler Road, entered guilty pleas to two counts of abduction. One count each of felony destruction of property, assault and battery on a law enforcement officer, strangulation, and unlawful wounding were dropped as part of the plea deal.

In a summary of evidence, around midnight on Nov. 14, 2014, Smith’s ex-girlfriend left his house after informing him that she wanted to end their relationship. After she left the house in her car, Smith trailed her in her vehicle, cutting her off on the road.

Smith opened the door and pulled the woman from her vehicle, holding her down on the ground. The victim was able to escape before Smith followed her and diverted the vehicle off the road again.

Smith knocked against the driver’s side window and asked for a ring he had given to his ex-girlfriend. When she cracked open the window and attempted to hand him the ring, it fell to the floorboard. As she went to recover it, Smith pushed down on the window forcefully, allowing him to unlock the door and extract the victim from the vehicle again and toss her onto the roadway a second time. After she finally gave the ring to Smith, the victim went to Charles City’s Sheriff Office to report the incident.

Under the plea agreement, Smith received a 10-year sentence on each of the charges, with all but nine years suspended on each conviction (active term of two years to serve). He also must pay $1,200 in restitution.

In an unrelated case, a Charles City man accepted a plea deal while admitting to torturing an animal resulting in its death.

John Henry Thompson II, 30, admitted guilt to a single count of animal cruelty. In a summary of evidence, on June 12, Thompson was at his father’s house with family members when he became upset about a situation. Thompson picked up a kitten at the home and slammed it to the floor several times, snapping its neck before discarding it in nearby woods.

Under the agreement, Thompson will report to a mental health facility for evaluation and rehabilitation to examine if he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Formal sentencing is scheduled for March 25.