NILES Police charge Brookfield man accused of throwing semen

The man's attorneys were expected to escort him into court this morning for arraignment.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- A 38-year-old Brookfield husband and father, accused of splashing women with semen at area stores, faces eight misdemeanor charges.
This morning, Capt. Ken Criswell filed in Niles Municipal Court seven criminal mischief charges and one charge of aggravated trespassing against Robert Leroy Gibson III of South Albright McKay Road.
The mother of the first victim, a 17-year-old Orwell girl, said her daughter is relieved the person believed responsible is charged, but the family is bracing for the court proceedings.
"It's not really done," the woman said. "Our daughter still has to go through all of the rigmarole in court. It's just beginning as far as the legality."
Gibson's attorneys were expected to escort him to court this morning for arraignment. The mother planned to attend the arraignment, but her daughter went to school instead.
What happened: Police believe Gibson threw the fluid, packaged in spray bottles or 35mm film canisters, on at least six women between Aug. 4 and Nov. 21 at the Eastwood Mall complex and two Howland stores.
No major diseases: Police identified Gibson from store video but had been waiting to charge him until they received lab results from blood tests the Brookfield man consented to have conducted, to determine if he has a disease such as HIV or hepatitis.
Chief Bruce Simeone said the tests, which came back late Wednesday, are negative.
"We've notified all of the victims that there are no serious health concerns," Criswell said.
The criminal mischief charge filed regarding an occurrence Nov. 16 at Phar-Mor in the Great East Plaza is a higher-degree misdemeanor because the victim, a 31-year-old Hubbard woman, developed a rash afterward.
That charge, along with the aggravated-trespassing charge also from the Phar-Mor occurrence, each carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if Gibson is convicted.
Each conviction on the other charges carries a maximum 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
If Gibson had tested positive for a disease, the charge could have increased to a felony.
The women range in age from 17 to 41, and Gibson is accused of spraying at least one woman twice on the same day in the same area of the mall. Some of the women were shopping with their children.
Some of the victims told police they saw a man walk past them several times while they were shopping and then felt something wet on their clothing. Tests determined the substance was semen.