Carlsbad Woman Strangled, Ex-Boyfriend Charged

Kathy Scharbarth filed a restraining order against the suspect just days before her disappearance: family friend

A Carlsbad woman reported missing and then found dead over the holiday weekend was strangled according to the county medical examiner.

Kathy Scharbarth, 34, was found dead Friday night a day after she was reported missing by her family.

Her ex-boyfriend, Michael David Robles, is in custody facing kidnapping and murder charges.

Investigators searched Roblesโ€™ home on Baja Vista Drive in Fallbrook for a second time Sunday.

"There are several items that have been requested to look for in the search warrant," said Lt. Matt Magro with Carlsbad police.

Robles, 43, was denied bail and locked up in Vista, pending arraignment scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Scharbarth had filed a restraining order against Robles on Nov. 17.

Robles tried to make contact with Scharbarth Wednesday night at her home in the 3100 block of Via Puerta, east of Melrose Drive, police said.

Scharbarth and the suspect ended their relationship 10 months ago said close family friend William Berman.

"He was never a resident at the Carlsbad condo, had no access to the condo and had no reason to be at the condo," said Berman.

Kathy Scharbarth's disappearance was first noted on Thursday by current boyfriend, Daniel Weber.

Weber had returned to the Carlsbad condo on Thanksgiving morning because the couple had planned to have breakfast on what was also Scharbarth's birthday.

Instead, Weber only found the door to her house open and her 13-year-old daughter asleep inside.

Weber then called police to report Scharbarth was missing.

One of Scharbarth's neighbors is Kendra Beebe a domestic violence victim herself. She was stabbed more than 20 times by her ex-boyfriend Shelley Malil in August 2009. Malil was sentenced to life in prison for the attack.

Beebe said she wants solutions, so something like this doesn't happen again. She's proposing San Diego County adopt a real-time GPS victim notification tracking device.

"There's real time notification," Beebe said.

"In case the restrained party enters the protected party's vicinity, they can get a text or phone call or whatever saying 'Hey, you need to get out of this area, he's coming, he's coming.'"

Scharbarth's family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to an education fund set up for the victim's 13-year-old daughter Madison at California Bank and Trust.

Madison Scharbarth Fund
California Bank and Trust
Account # 2300062102
135 Saxony Rd
Encinitas, CA 92024
760-436-5226

 

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