WESTOVER — A man who police say tried to sexually assault a woman at a Westover hotel was arrested Monday morning.
According to a criminal complaint, Westover Police responded to the Microtel on Lawless Road about 7 a.m. after hotel employees called 911.
Robert L. Wheeler, 32, of Morgantown, is charged with attempted sexual assault and strangulation.
According to a criminal complaint, the female victim answered the hotel room door and told hotel employees that Wheeler was beating and raping her. They then called 911.
The victim told police that she was calling 911 when Wheeler ripped the phone from the wall to prevent her from doing so.
She said Wheeler physically assaulted her in multiple ways including choking and smothering her with a pillow. She also told police Wheeler threw her wallet out of the second-story window, the criminal complaint stated.
Police noted marks on the side of the woman’s face and neck, including a “hickey” on the left side of her neck she said Wheeler gave her without consent.
The complaint described the room as in “disarray” with blood on the bed sheets, a pillow, and the bathroom door. A woman’s belt ripped in half was also found in the room.
Wheeler was arraigned in Monongalia County Magistrate Court and bond was set at $25,000. He is being held in North Central Regional Jail.
