Man arrested on multiple warrants after call from pizza delivery person

A Key West man wanted on numerous warrants was arrested Monday night after a domestic dispute on Stock Island.

Sheriff’s dispatchers received a call from a pizza delivery man at about 8 p.m. He said he was delivering food to a residence on 11^th Avenue at 8 p.m. He said after knocking on the door, a woman and two children inside pleaded with him to call the police. He said he left immediately and called for help.

When Deputy Jorge Prince arrived, 30 year old Taurean Roberts had already left the residence. Robert’s 28 year old pregnant wife was inside, as were two children aged 8 and 13. They said Roberts had entered the residence through the laundry room door. He was carrying a large knife and was yelling “for his stuff”. When the children tried to call 911 for help, he threw their cell phones against the wall breaking them. He grabbed the 13 year old girl around the neck and pushed his wife against the television set, knocking her to the ground.

While deputies were there, Robert’s wife received a call with information that Roberts had gotten a ride in a white Mercedes with another woman who lives on 5^th Avenue. Deputies responded to 5th Avenue and found the Mercedes in front of 5513 5^th Avenue. Roberts was found hiding inside the residence, lying on the floor of one of the bedrooms.

He was arrested. He was charged with child abuse, aggravated battery by strangulation, obstruction of justice – preventing someone from calling 911 and aggravated battery on a pregnant person. He was also charged with outstanding warrants for fleeing and eluding police, three counts sale of cocaine, two counts use of a two way communications device to facilitate a felony, two counts driving with license suspended and failure to appear in court. The warrants are all related to cases by Key West Police.

As deputies were transporting him to jail, he made several threats against the woman and the two children. At one point he reportedly said “they better give me 50 years because I am going to make sure they get theirs.”