By NC WANTED Staff

Posted: Jan 15, 2009
Updated: Jan 15, 2009

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY — Rockingham County Sheriff’s deputies have been searching for a man they say violently attacked his ex-girlfriend, stabbed and beat her until she was near death. James Everlon “Toby” Roberts has been on the run since 2003. He’s wanted for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and inflicting serious injury.

On August 25, 2003, Roberts’ ex-girlfriend and her 6-year-old pulled into their driveway. What the 41-year-old woman didn’t know was that her former boyfriend, James “Toby” Roberts, had broken into the residence and was waiting for her to return home. Before she and her small child could make it into the house, Roberts ran toward the victim and started his assault. He attacked the victim with a steak knife, stabbing her in the back so hard and so many times that the knife eventually broke. In an attempt to escape, the victim ran inside the house. Roberts’ caught her, grabbed a hammer sitting on the kitchen table and started beating her repeatedly in the face and all over her body. This time he struck her so many times that the hammer broke. Roberts retrieved another hammer and started beating her again. However by this time, family members living next door heard the victim screaming and came to her rescue.

Roberts jumped in the victim’s car and tried to escape. While pulling out of the driveway, the victim’s uncle jumped in the passenger seat. That’s when the suspect jumped out and fled on foot. The car crashed into a tree across the street. This is the last time James “Toby” Roberts was reportedly seen in the area.

Soon after the attack, authorities found the inside of the house ransacked. They also discovered two nooses hanging from the ceiling rafters – a larger and smaller one. They believe these were intended for the victim and her daughter. They concluded that Roberts had broken into the house, found some extension cord, punched holes in the ceiling and used the rafters to secure the nooses.

Roberts and his ex-girlfriend had been together for almost a year. They had a history of domestic violence in their relationship and had been living together up until a few weeks prior to the incident. Roberts had been wanted on other outstanding charges and authorities believe it’s possible the victim led law enforcement to his whereabouts so they could serve the warrants. He did time for those charges, and they believe, made his way back to his ex-girlfriend’s house soon after he was released from jail.

Wanted for:
Assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury

Profile:
Sex: Male
Race: Black
Age Now: 39
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 150 lbs.
Hair: Black (typically wears his hair short, possibly bald; clean shaven)
Eyes: Brown

Alias: Toby

Scar: Roberts has a scar across his nose as result of a car accident

Tattoos: Roberts has a tattoo of a playboy bunny on his upper right arm; he has what looks like a wine glass on his left arm

Occupation: Roberts did odd jobs in construction and worked on construction jobs as they became available. Investigators believe that is how he had access to the construction grade and extension cords

Possible locations: Roberts has family living in the western part of Rockingham County which includes Madison, Mayadon, and Rockville, NC; its possible Roberts could have crossed into Virginia

Other Information: Roberts has a history of domestic violence related arrests and has had problems with domestic violence in past relationships