When a babysitter in Kansas checked under a bed to reassure a scared child that there weren’t any monsters hiding under there, she came face to face with a home intruder who has been ordered by authorities to stay away from the property.
Police arrested the 27-year-old suspect, Martin Villalobos Jr., last week and transported him to Barton County Jail, according to a Saturday statement from the Barton County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect was booked on requested charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, child endangerment, felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer and violation of a protection from abuse order. Villalobos is being held in the county jail in lieu of a $500,000 bond, according to the sheriff’s office.
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The circumstances leading up to Villalobos’ arrest began when deputies responded to a call last week about a disturbance in the 2000 block of Patton Road. When the deputies arrived on the scene, they came into contact with a woman who said that she was babysitting the children at the house.
According to the sheriff’s office, the woman said she was putting the children to bed when one of them claimed there was a “monster” underneath the bed. In an attempt to show the child that there were no monsters, the babysitter looked under the bed and found Villalobos.
“An altercation ensued with the babysitter, and one child was knocked over in the struggle. The suspect then fled the scene before deputies arrived,” the sheriff’s office said.
When speaking with the deputies, the victim identified the suspect as Villalobos and said that the man had once lived at the house. The 27-year-old man fled the scene, and although deputies searched for him, the authorities did not manage to locate him that evening.
According to the sheriff’s office, the deputies were still in the area looking for the suspect the next day when he was spotted at the 2000 block of Patton Road. While the suspect attempted to flee from the authorities on foot, law enforcement succeeded this time in catching him after a short pursuit.
Villalobos had a protection from abuse order issued against him, according to authorities, which is an order that typically offers legal protection to someone who is in or has just escaped an abusive relationship.
Under a protection from abuse order, a judge may prohibit an abuser from making contact with the victim or approaching the victim’s home, work or school.
Online court records cited in a Wednesday report on the case by KAKE-TV show that Villalobos faces pending charges of criminal threat and domestic battery for an incident that happened on Jan. 31.
The babysitter finding Villalobos hiding under the bed, resulting in his arrest this month, is not the first case that has led to the man being charged with violating a protection order. Villalobos was charged on Feb. 22 with violating a protection order, according to the court records cited by KAKE-TV.
On the topic of abuse, author Sarah McDugal argued in a February op-ed for The Christian Post that it’s often viewed as a “women’s issue,” something that she asserted allows men to sidestep accountability.
“Within Christian faith communities, this reality is painfully pronounced. Women have borne the burden of mopping up the mess after abuse is perpetrated, whether by taking on the job of speaking out or simply healing in silence,” she wrote.
“They have carried the emotional labor of protecting children, supporting survivors, and calling for justice — all while facing opposition from leaders who would rather comfortably maintain the status quo than confront evil within their own ranks,” McDugal continued.
In addition to calling on men to speak out against violence and abuse, the author advocated for support systems within Christian communities to help address the issue. She also stressed the need to teach men how to behave in a Christ-like manner so that they may then demonstrate to others of their sex how to act the same.
“The time for silence has passed. The time for half-hearted apologies and surface-level reforms is over,” McDugal wrote. “Men who truly follow Jesus Christ must take up the mantle of responsibility against abuse — not just in words but in action. This means refusing to excuse toxic behaviors, refusing to defend unrepentant abusers, and refusing to perpetuate systems that silence survivors.”
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
