Police charge Cape Girardeau woman, 23, they believe set up beating, robbery of 19-year-old male

A Cape Girardeau woman is being held in lieu of $100,000 cash-only bond, facing charges relating to a car theft and assault, which left a 19-year-old victim disoriented and confused while walking on the Interstate 55.

Katrina Strouth, 23, faces charges of first-degree assault, stealing a motor vehicle and second-degree robbery. The assault is considered a Class A felony, which can result in up to 30 years in prison. The robbery is considered a Class B felony, and the theft charge is classified as a Class D felony.

A probable cause statement filed in the case depicts Strouth as setting up the robbery and assault of the victim.

This is the same altercation for which Levi Clowes, 20, was also charged, as was reported by the Southeast Missourian on March 13.

On Feb. 7, Cape Girardeau Police Department officers responded to a report of robbery, where they found a 19-year-old man with blood covering his face, head and clothing, without shoes and his pockets turned outward, according to a probable cause statement signed by an officer whose name was redacted.

Katrina Strouth stands next to Ford Focus used in accident.

The victim told police he was forced off the roadway by a white Ford Fusion while driving on Interstate 55. After being forced off the road, the vehicle the victim was driving was stolen along with his debit card and cellphone. With the aid of the police department's license plate video scanning system, the victim's vehicle was seen behind a white Ford Fusion, which was registered to Strouth, according to the probable cause statement.

The victim told police he came to Cape Girardeau and met two males and one female on South Sprigg Street. The redacted document does not disclose the reasons for the meeting, but it does indicate they agreed to go to a car meet in the area, to a place by the Mississippi River that had a large area where vehicles could drive in a circle, explaining the route to the location was an "empty road."

The victim remembered parts of the beating, where he suffered a concussion, several broken and damaged teeth; a broken nose and a laceration on the head that required staples to close. The victim also lost his eyeglasses in the beating. Police were able to identify the location near the river based on the victim's description, and recovered his eyeglasses, as well as finding evidence of blood at the scene.

The victim was shown a photo of Strouth from social media and identified her as the female that was involved.

Police say Strouth was arrested Feb. 23 but originally refused to speak with officers. Later, she contacted the officer via jail staff, at which time she admitted to police she rode with others in the Ford Fusion. Later, when they arrived at another location "she walked over to her car to see what they were doing when she noticed two other individuals in the back seat. She stated at that time she believed that (the victim) was about to be assaulted," according to the release. Strouth then stated four males attacked the victim, knocking him to the ground. Strouth identified two males involved in the fight, stating three male juveniles were also involved.

Another witness told police that Strouth set up the assault and robbery. That witness said "she was going to have Clowes jump" the victim. During the incident, according to the witness statment described in the affidavit, Strouth began yelling to the other suspects to get the victim's phone and keys to his car. At this point, a suspect pulled a gun and demanded the victim turn over his keys and phone. When the victim didn't respond quickly enough, the juvenile suspect began striking him in the head and face with the handgun.