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PROVO — Charges were filed Monday against a man accused of running his ex-girlfriend off the road in an effort to get his dog back.
Gregson Blaine Willes, 50, of Benjamin, was charged in 4th District Court with five counts of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, as well as criminal mischief, assault, and reckless driving, all class B misdemeanors.
On Oct. 9, Willes and his ex-girlfriend were involved in a “pet custody dispute” in Payson that “went awry,” according to charging documents.
The ex-girlfriend and four friends went to a house and retrieved a dog that she and Willes had purchased when they were together, the charges state. Willes began following the group and then “drove his car into victims’ car to force the victims’ car to stop.”
Willes “side-swiped the victims’ car and then stopped his car immediately in front of their car which resulted in another collision between the two cars,” the charges state. He then broke out the front passenger window and attempted to drag a woman out of the car by her legs to get to the dog, the charges state. The woman suffered several cuts from the broken glass.
Willes showed a “blatant and wanton disregard for others on the roadway,” according to the arresting officer’s police affidavit.
“He stated that he made the car stop by crashing his car into the driver side of the car,” charging documents continued. “Defendant really wanted to get the dog back.”
