GALLATIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — A man out on parole for vehicular assault has landed himself back behind bars after police said he tried to kill his girlfriend with a hammer.
The horrific attack reportedly occurred on Nov. 18, 2024, which is when the Gallatin Police Department (GPD) was called to the scene of a domestic assault involving a man who allegedly attacked his girlfriend with a hammer.
Investigators said the attack occurred at a home along Dorothy Jordan Road.
The suspect —identified as 43-year-old Joshua Robb— is believed to have hit his girlfriend in the head with hammer and a small safe before stomping on her, police said.
“During this, he was telling her he was going to kill her,” Captain Lamar Ballard told News 2.
According to the GPD, the 40-year-old victim managed to escape to a church located across the street from the home.
As heard on bodycam video, the victim’s family members were very upset as police arrived to talk them.
Authorities reported the victim survived the attack and police issued an “APB” for Robb, who then went into hiding for 49 days.
“How serious was this injury to her?” asked News 2’s Andy Cordan.
‘Where he struck her was actually in the back right side of her head,” explained Ballard.
News 2 looked into Robb’s extensive criminal history, which dates back to more than 15 years and is littered with felonies, including multiple domestic assault charges.
According to the Tennessee Department of Corrections, Robb was convicted on a possession of Schedule II drugs charge in 2018 and was sentenced to six years probation. The probation was later revoked in 2020, where the remainder his sentence was imposed.
In addition, records show the 43-year-old was also convicted of vehicular assault in 2021 and received a two-year sentence. In February 2024, Robb was granted parole. A warrant was later filed by TDOC in September 2024 for a parole violation.
On Jan. 6, 2025, 49 days after the attack, U.S. Marshals Task Force tracked Robb to Portland, Tennessee.
The 43-year-old was reportedly arrested by authorities from different agencies, including Sumner County deputies and Portland police.
“We just want the community to know all our agencies here in Sumner County work very well together and we just want to thank the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance in locating this individual because we were able to find him and get him off the streets,” added Ballard.
Robb was taken to the Sumner County Jail and charged with attempted second-degree murder, domestic assault and parole violation.
According to Sumner County Jail records, Robb was arrested for another domestic assault involving the same victim two months before the hammer attack.
