A Wildwood commissioner was arrested after he allegedly sent threatening text messages to a woman, vowing he was ready to kill her and himself.
Robby Strickland, 38, of Oxford, was jailed without bond on a charge of intimidation.
Strickland allegedly sent text messages to the woman over the past several days. He was in Texas during part of that time, according to an arrest affidavit from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
“I just beat my sons with a baton because of my anger towards you. I don’t want your gift of freedom. When I get back I’m going to take your life and mine,” Strickland texted from Texas on Aug. 1, according to the arrest report.
While arranging a child custody exchange this week, Strickland texted, “Good. Prepare to have me arrested in front of the kids. That will be super. And they better be there when I get there.”
The woman told sheriff’s deputies that for the past seven and a half years, Strickland has choked her, dragged her across a concrete porch, kicking her, punching, and pushing her in the shoulder. She said her vehicle has been keyed in the past while she and her children were in the vehicle. She also claimed Strickland has chased her in a vehicle at a high rate of speed in anger. She also said Strickland has made “threats of making her look so ugly other people would not want to look at her,” according to the arrest report.
She said she is in fear for her life.
Strickland was arrested at 7:43 p.m. Wednesday at Oxford Assembly of God.
Strickland is running for re-election to his commission seat. He faces Villager Joe Elliott.
Strickland has served on the Wildwood City Commission since January 2005.
