Woman charged after allegedly breaking into residence, pepper-spraying victim

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman was charged with multiple felonies after she and other suspects allegedly broke into a residence on Whitegate Drive on Wednesday and pepper-sprayed a victim.

La’Jaya Robinson, 20, was charged with first-degree burglary, second-degree robbery, second-degree assault and third-degree assault. She is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says police were called on Wednesday to Columbia Crossing Apartments and found a woman who was hit with pepper spray. The victim identified Robinson and claimed that she and three other people were in her apartment, hit her with pepper spray, assaulted her and took her iPhone. The other suspects were not named in the probable cause statement.

Police recognized Robinson’s name and went to her residence on Claudell Lane and a standoff ensued. Robinson’s mother allegedly tried to ask police to leave during the encounter, the statement says.

Robinson eventually walked out of the residence and admitted to entering the victim’s residence through a back door that was unlocked, court documents say. She also admitted that the victim was pepper-sprayed and assaulted, the statement says. She allegedly went to the victim’s residence “about a past altercation,” court documents say.