Man accused of ramming woman's car with a child inside

A Cape Girardeau man was charged with two counts of child endangerment after he rammed his truck purposely into a vehicle his wife was driving while children were inside both vehicles, deputies say.

The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Jason W. Thompson, 36, with two counts of second-degree child endangerment, one count of third-degree domestic assault and resisting arrest. All four charges are felonies.

The victim told Cape Girardeau County sheriff’s deputies Saturday morning her husband had assaulted her several times since the previous evening, according to a probable-cause statement filed in the case by deputy Maranda Meyer.

The victim said she and Thompson argued over her friendship with someone Thompson disliked, Meyer wrote.

During the argument, Thompson smashed cellphones belonging to the victim and her friend before throwing his wife to the ground in the bathroom of their home in the 500 block of Teton Lane, Meyer wrote.

To avoid Thompson, the victim went to bed, taking her 4-year-old and 1-year-old daughters with her, according to the statement.

The victim told deputies Thompson accidentally struck the younger child in the head, causing her to cry, when he joined them in bed later, Meyer wrote.

The victim commented on this to Thompson, who then grabbed and squeezed her face, according to the statement.

About 3 a.m. Saturday, the victim and older daughter moved into the daughter’s room to sleep, where they later were awakened by Thompson, demanding she “move her friend’s vehicle off of his property,” Meyer wrote.

When the victim said she would do it later, Thompson grabbed her by the throat, choked her and pulled out her hair as her 4-year-old sat beside her on the bed, according to the statement.

When the victim told Thompson she and the children were leaving to report the attack, he took her car keys, Meyer wrote.

The victim retrieved the keys to her friend’s vehicle and tried to leave with her 4-year-old daughter, according to the statement.

As she backed out of the driveway, Thompson put their 1-year-old in his truck and rammed the vehicle the victim was driving, pushing it backwards down the driveway, Meyer wrote.

Thompson got out of his truck and tried punching out the windows of the victim’s car as she drove away, Meyer wrote.

The victim said she feared Thompson and had marks on the front and back of her neck that were red and appeared to be bruising, Meyer wrote.

When Meyer found Thompson at a house near his residence, he told the deputy he and his wife had a disagreement but would not say anything else about it, according to the statement.

When Meyer told Thompson he was under arrest for domestic assault, he put a cigarette in his mouth, telling her, “You’re not taking me anywhere; I’m not going to jail,” Meyer wrote.

When she threatened to use a Taser on Thompson if he refused to cooperate, he told her he would finish smoking his cigarette, Meyer wrote.

Another trooper arrived, and Thompson was arrested, according to the statement.

As of Monday afternoon, Thompson remained in custody. Bond was set at $25,000 with the condition he have no contact with the victim.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627