Docs: Indianapolis man arrested after being stabbed during domestic incident near Greenwood hotel

GREENWOOD, Ind. — An Indianapolis man has been charged after he reportedly tracked down his family who had fled to a Greenwood hotel because of alleged abuse, forced the family into his truck and struck one of them in the face, which led to him being stabbed.

According to court documents recently filed in Johnson County, 28-year-old Robert Vanatta has been charged with:

• Four counts of criminal confinement while armed with a deadly weapon, each a Level 3 felony
• Four counts of intimidation where the defendant draws or uses a deadly weapon, each a level 5 felony
• One count of strangulation, a Level 6 felony
• Three counts of criminal recklessness committed with a deadly weapon, each a Level 6 felony
• One count of neglect of a dependent, a Level 6 felony

On Saturday evening, officers with the Greenwood Police Department were called to a disturbance at a Greenwood hotel. When officers arrived, they found members of a family, including a child, who told officers that he stabbed Vanatta with a box cutter after Vanatta hit a woman in his truck.

In multiple interviews with family members who were on scene, officers determined that the family was attempting to hide from Vanatta after reported abuse. As the group attempted to leave the hotel, Vanatta reportedly hit the family’s vehicle and forced it off the road.

Vanatta reportedly began fighting with one of the children and held one of them in a chokehold. One of the family members told police that at this point, Vanatta said he would kill the child if the group did not get into his truck.

After the family members got into his truck, Vanatta reportedly struck the woman in the side of the face with a closed fist, telling her “I’ve got something for you when we get home.” The woman told police she believed that Vanatta “was going to murder her and the children once they got back to their residence.”

The documents said one of the children then stabbed Vanatta with a box cutter in an attempt to get him away from the woman. The child later told police that this was “an effort to save his family.”

The woman then left the vehicle and reportedly grabbed her firearm and “fired three or four rounds into the front of the truck… hoping to buy enough time for (the family) to get away (from Vanatta.)”

A voicemail later obtained by police reportedly captured audio that officials claim came during the incident. The audio including Vanatta yelling “get in the f—— truck” several times. The recording also reportedly includes Vanatta saying, “I’m going to shoot every one of you..”

In an interview with police, Vanatta reportedly told officers that he was in an argument with one of the family members over the phone regarding a room number for the hotel. Vanatta then reportedly stated that he blacked out.

“(The) next thing he remembered is he was stabbed several times and in the hospital,” the documents said.

Officials with the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office said that Vanatta faces up to 103 years in prison if he is convicted of all charges. Court documents state that Vanatta’s initial hearing is scheduled for April 3.