BREAKING NEWS: Arrest Made In MCG Assault

According to Lt. Scott Peebles, on Thursday afternoon, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has filed charges against 28-year-old Roger Antonio Bettis, of North Augusta, in reference to the June 3rd assault of a 63-year-old woman at MCG Hospital.

By: WJBF Staff | WJBF-TV
Published: June 11, 2009

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Augusta, GA -- According to Lt. Scott Peebles, on Thursday afternoon, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has filed charges against 28-year-old Roger Antonio Bettis, of North Augusta, in reference to the June 3rd assault of a 63-year-old woman at MCG Hospital.

Bettis, as you will recall, was arrested on Sunday, June 7th, after committing a robbery Greg’s Gas Plus on Martintown Road, in North Augusta, and fleeing from police into Augusta, where he crashed the car he was driving into a hotel on Broad Street.

Bettis initially became a point of interest after video footage of the suspect from MCG aired through local media outlets.

Several anonymous callers provided information which pointed investigators in Bettis’ direction. Thursday afternoon, investigators searched the residence of Bettis’ mother in North Augusta and located clothing matching the clothing worn in the video. Preliminary testing leads investigators to believe that significant trace evidence will return conclusive evidence of Bettis’ involvement in this case.

Bettis has served a five-year prison sentence in Georgia, stemming from an Attempted Robbery conviction in Richmond County. In that case, which occurred on August 6, 1998, Bettis was accused of approaching a 38-year-old woman, who was walking on Bungalow Road, and attempting to choke and rob her. Bettis was released from prison in August of 2003.

On May 18, 2004, Bettis was convicted of Attempted Armed Robbery in South Carolina and was sentenced to a six year prison sentence. Bettis was released from prison on June 1st of this year, two days before the MCG assault.

Bettis is being held without bond at the Richmond County Jail on charges of Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Assault, Criminal Attempt Rape, False Imprisonment and Possession of a Knife During the Commission of a Crime.