Jury Convicts Pearl River Man In Beating Of 83-year-old Mother

District Attorney Collin Sims reports that on September 17, 2025, a St. Tammany Parish jury took 21 minutes to return a guilty verdict against 57-year-old Clifford Roberts of Pearl River on a charge of second offense domestic abuse battery.  Assistant District Attorneys Shelby Stoop and Tiffany Dover presented the case to the jury with Judge Vinny Lobello presiding over the three-day trial. Deputies Tyler Caruso and John Dalton with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office were in charge of the investigation.

According to testimony given during the trial, the April 11, 2025 incident began when the defendant wanted his 83-year-old mother, with whom he shared a Pearl River residence, to give him money to buy cigarettes.  She gave him $10 and said that was all she had.  Roberts responded by getting in his mother’s personal space and yelling obscenities at her.  Because Roberts had beaten her in the past, the victim feared for her safety and used her cane to try to push him out of her bedroom.  After Roberts left the room, the victim locked her bedroom door.  Roberts defeated the lock on the door and resumed berating his mother.  The victim again tried to push Roberts out of her room, prompting him to grab her and violently throw her to the floor, causing her to strike her head.  After lying on the floor for some period, the victim was able to get to her feet and she called 911.  Deputies Caruso and Dalton immediately responded to the residence.  Upon observing obvious injuries to the victim, the deputies summoned an ambulance to the scene and the victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.  She was diagnosed with and treated for blunt force trauma to her head as well as bruising and swelling of her arm and finger.

Deputies questioned Roberts on the scene and he claimed his mother had attacked him “for no reason” by striking him in his face approximately 15 times with her cane.  He said she then fell to the floor and that he did not help her because he knew she would blame him.  When the deputies inquired about his prior conviction for battering his mother in 2022, Roberts downplayed its seriousness, saying she only had a superficial injury.

The victim was among seven witnesses prosecutors called to testify at trial.  The remaining six witnesses were law enforcement and medical personnel.  During her testimony, the victim described the fear she experienced as her son physically assaulted her as he had done before.  At one point during her emotional testimony, the defendant was heard to mutter “f***ing liar.”  The victim told the jury she loved her son but could not continue allowing him to abuse her.

Judge Lobello has set sentencing for November 5, 2025.  The penalty for second offense domestic abuse battery is usually limited to a maximum of three years in prison.  However, due to his previous criminal history, Roberts may receive a longer term.  In addition to his prior domestic abuse conviction, he also has convictions for battery on a police officer (2 times), resisting an officer, DWI (4 times), attempted possession of oxycodone, simple battery, public intoxication and criminal damage to property.