Robins pleads not guilty to sledgehammer attacks

The Las Vegas man who police said attacked 10 people with a sledgehammer in October, including three in Boulder City, pleaded not guilty to the charges in District Court Jan. 29.

According to Henderson police, Damien Robins, 32, began the attacks Oct. 24. in Boulder City about 7:15 p.m. after police said he struck the windshield of Susan Davis’ car with a sledgehammer in the 7-Eleven parking lot after asking her if she was lost. Davis was able to put her car in reverse and drive away.

About 20 minutes later, police said Robins attacked John and Pamela Wright as they walked back to their motor home. The Wrights, as well as several other witnesses, took the stand during Robins’ preliminary hearing Jan. 21 in Boulder City Justice Court.

John Wright said Robins pulled his car up to the curb where they were walking and he got out of the car holding a sledgehammer. John Wright said Robins asked the couple if they were lost before Wright was thrown to the sidewalk.

He said he was then “hit with something heavy several times in the back.”

“I remember thinking, if he hits me in the head with that, I may not be getting up,” John Wright testified.

Pamela Wright was hit in the head with the sledgehammer and rendered unconscious during the attack, police said.

She said she required 10 staples in her head after she was taken to the hospital, and she still suffers from dizziness.

Shortly after attacking the Wrights, police said Robins got in his car and drove north on U.S. Highway 93. James Merrill said that’s when Robins hit the side of his Ford F-150 and started yelling at him.

“He told me to get off the effin’ highway,” Merrill said.

Merrill said he pulled over to the side of the road shortly after, and Robins pulled over in front of him before hitting his truck with the sledgehammer. Merrill said his truck had $6,000 worth of damage.

Robins then continued into Henderson where he attacked several others with the sledgehammer, police said. He surrendered to police about an hour after the attacks began.

At the time of his arrest, Robins’ wife told police her husband had been addicted to methamphetamine, and that she hadn’t seen him for three days before the attacks. She said he had recently been fired from his job, and that it wasn’t uncommon for him to “disappear for a few days” while he was high on methamphetamine, according to the police report.

Police said Robins was high on methamphetamine hours before the attacks.

Robins’ next trial date is scheduled for June 1 at the Regional Justice Center, according to the Clark County district attorney’s office. He is being represented by James J. Smedley.

When the Boulder City Review reached out to Smedley’s office for comment, a voice mail recording from his office said his law firm was no longer in business.

Robins faces 18 counts, including six counts of attempted murder, five counts of battery with a deadly weapon and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Contact reporter Steven Slivka at sslivka@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow @StevenSlivka on Twitter.