People v. Ropele CA4/2

BACKGROUND

According to testimony at Ropele’s preliminary hearing in March 2022, he and

T.U. dated “[o]n and off” for four years before their relationship ended in 2018. Ropele

had been physically violent with T.U. about five times in the past.

In December 2019, two of T.U.’s friends were dropping her off at home after a

late night out. As they arrived, T.U. saw Ropele parked in his car outside. She got out of

her friend’s car and went to her front door, and Ropele followed her. One of T.U.’s

friend’s, S.S., got out of the car to talk to Ropele. Ropele was aggressive with S.S., and

T.U. decided to get back into the car. S.S. got back into the car too and told the driver to

“go.” As they pulled away, T.U. heard a window break at her house. She turned around

and saw Ropele walking from her house toward his car. The driver stopped the car, and

T.U. called the police.

2 Ropele turned his car around and blocked T.U. and her friends before they could

reach the main road. Ropele got out of his car and approached them, yelling and

motioning with his hands. They went around Ropele and headed for the freeway. T.U.

was on the phone with the police, and she noticed Ropele’s car…