Man faces multiple charges

A Greenwood man arrived at the Jackson County jail a day after he turned 27 to face multiple charges stemming from alleged incidents in 2008 and earlier this year.
Kevin Anthony Leslie is charged with armed robbery with a firearm, two counts of child abuse, three counts of kidnapping, armed burglary, felony battery, two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, two counts of aggravated battery on a pregnant victim, grand theft, and failure to appear on a charge of battery.
According to the complaints against Leslie, his troubles started in November 2008.
On Nov. 10, authorities say a Marianna police officer was called to a residence on Yost Street, where a woman recounted an alleged encounter with Leslie at a local store. She said she was paying for fuel she purchased when Leslie approached her, spit in her face and cursed her. The woman said she informed Leslie that she was pregnant, and that he then pushed her, causing her to lose her balance.
In that incident, he was charged with aggravated battery.
Marianna police also charged him with additional offenses related to an alleged incident involving a different woman a few days later, on Nov. 25 of that year.
According to a statement given to police by the victim, she and Leslie were at a local motel when he became angry because she wouldn’t answer a question. The woman told police Leslie slapped her in the face. She told him she was pregnant and asked him to stop, she said in her statement, but he started pulling her hair and shoving her head into a pillow so that she could not breathe. She told police he threatened to shoot her if she didn’t stop talking. At that point, she said, he held a pistol to her head and continued to pull her hair.
Police charged Leslie with aggravated battery on a pregnant victim and aggravated assault with a firearm arising from that alleged incident.
In an alleged incident on Feb. 25, 2009, involving a third woman and the children she and Leslie shared, Leslie was charged with armed robbery, armed burglary, three counts of kidnapping and two counts of child abuse.
According to police reports, Leslie allegedly went to the woman’s home around 3 a.m. and began hitting and kicking her. He allegedly produced a silver handgun and told the victim he would kill her. As a result of the noise being made, the two children awoke and came into the kitchen, where the altercation was allegedly taking place.
Leslie then allegedly forced the woman and children get into her car and go to Marianna with him. There, at about 3:40 a.m., he allegedly made her withdraw $200 from her checking account using an ATM. They then went to a local 24-hour store in an attempt to get more money, but were unsuccessful. From there, they went to a gas station. By this time, Leslie had calmed down, and allowed the victim to drive them all back to her residence. The victim’s statement indicates Leslie took her cell phone and left in another car.
The three counts of kidnapping stem from this alleged incident, along with the felony battery, armed robbery, armed burglary and two child abuse charges.
Leslie remained in the Jackson County jail as of late Wednesday. His bail was set at $150,000 for the majority of charges, but he was being held without bond because of the failure to appear charge.
According to Major Donnie Branch of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Leslie was arrested on the local charges after unrelated allegations in another area were resolved.