A demolition derby driver who was arrested after causing a disturbance at the 2017 Walworth County Fair pleaded guilty to one of four charges against him.
Robert S. Moore, 34, of Lombard, Ill., is scheduled to be sentenced May 24 on a charge of substantial battery, intending bodily harm. He pleaded guilty April 1 to the charge, and three other charges – battery or threat to a judge, prosecutor or law enforcement officer; disorderly conduct; and criminal damage to property – against him were dismissed. The battery charge carries maximum penalties of 3 ½ years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
The charge stems from a disturbance that resulted after he was ejected from the demolition derby at fair. Moore allegedly rammed a skid loader with his derby car, punched a sheriff’s deputy and fought with security officers after he was disqualified from the demolition derby Sept. 4, 2017.
According to the criminal complaint, Dennis Nelson, a demolition derby referee, disqualified Moore from the event but Moore refused to leave or remove his car from the track. A witness said Moore became irate, took off his helmet, flipped off the referee and yelled profanity at him, according to the complaint.
Nelson instructed Robert Stiglitz, an employee of A&M Towing who is responsible for removing vehicles from the derby, to take Moore’s car off the track, according to the complaint. Stiglitz said when he pulled up to Moore’s vehicle with a skid steer, Moore got in his car, started it and intentionally hit the skid steer with force. He said a pin on the skid steer broke and the crash caused about $800 in damage, according to the complaint.
When sheriff’s deputies arrived, Deputy Matthew Weber saw Moore push a woman and get “nose to nose” with her. Weber believed Moore was going to punch the woman, so he ran between them, and his left arm made contact with Moore’s chest, according to the complaint. Moore pushed Weber’s arm, looked directly at him, cocked his arm back and punched Weber in the head with a closed fist, according to the complaint. Security officer Ray Clark tried to take Moore to the ground, but Moore fought with him as well. Weber deployed his Taser to gain control of Moore.
Weber suffered a concussion from being punched in the head, and Stiglitz had neck and back pain as a result of the skid steer being struck, according to the complaint.
