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SANDY — A Sandy man faces several charges after police say he punched a woman in the face and then sprayed her with bear spray.
Robert Joseph Barros, 32, is charged with aggravated assault; purchase, transfer, possession or use of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person; and tampering with a witness, all third-degree felonies. He also faces two counts of child abuse, a class A misdemeanor. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday.
On Saturday, police were called to a home at 8870 S. State. According to a probable cause statement, Barros had punched a woman in the face, then pulled out a can of bear spray, placed the bottle within a couple inches of her face and sprayed content of the canister at her. Bear spray is a form of pepper spray.
The woman's face was covered in orange-red coloring, police said. She was treated for injuries to her face, eyes, arms and chest. The woman’s two children were in the home at the time and received medical care due to exposure to the spray.
Police found Barros nearby and said he smelled of bear spray.
While a police officer was interviewing Barros' girlfriend, the man tried to intimidate her by screaming at her not to say anything, court documents state.
Barros is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Friday.
