MARATHON, Fla. – A Florida Keys man is facing multiple felony charges after authorities say he assaulted his pregnant girlfriend, prevented her from calling 911 and briefly barricaded himself inside his home before being taken into custody.
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Nichols Adolfuls Phipps, 41, of Marathon, was arrested Thursday and faces charges of aggravated battery on a pregnant woman, false imprisonment, obstruction of justice, simple assault, and resisting arrest without violence, jail records show.
According to an arrest report from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to Fishermen’s Hospital in Marathon just after 6 p.m. Thursday after receiving reports of a woman in distress inside a white Audi.
The woman was crying hysterically and told deputies that Phipps had physically beaten her inside their home, according to the report.
The report stated that the victim was nine months pregnant and that she needed medical attention after claiming that Phipps attacked her.
She told investigators that Phipps became violent after arriving home from work, throwing his belongings on the floor before forcefully grabbing her and shoving her off the bed, deputies said.
The report stated that Phipps then grabbed the victim’s head and repeatedly slammed it against a bedroom wall, causing her vision to blur.
When she attempted to leave, Phipps pushed her away multiple times, preventing her from escaping for about 30 minutes, according to the report.
The victim said she tried to use an electronic device with Alexa to call 911, but Phipps disabled it. When she attempted to use her cellphone, deputies said Phipps snatched it away.
The victim told deputies that Phipps threatened to kill her and himself before opening a kitchen drawer where she believed knives were stored, deputies said.
Though she did not see him grab a weapon, she said she “feared for her life,” the report stated. She also claimed Phipps mentioned having a gun in a safe, though she never saw him retrieve one.
Deputies said they saw a swollen bump on the back of the victim’s head but noted no other visible injuries. She provided a sworn statement and requested to press charges.
When deputies arrived at Phipps’ home near the 1100 block of 23rd Street Ocean Avenue, he reportedly ran inside and refused to come out. Authorities then set up a perimeter and spent several minutes negotiating with him before he eventually surrendered.
Phipps denied assaulting the victim, claiming their argument began after she trashed his home. He also accused her of damaging his property and stealing personal items and stated that she cracked his glass door before leaving, according to the report.
A search of the home revealed no visible signs of damage and no weapons were found in his safe, investigators said.
Deputies said Phipps’ attempt to evade law enforcement, the victim’s sworn statement, and her visible injury provided sufficient probable cause for his arrest.
As of Friday, he remains at the Monroe County Detention Center on a $70,000 bond.
