OOLITIC — An Oolitic man with a history of privacy violations was arrested Monday afternoon after local authorities discovered him hiding inside an attic crawlspace to avoid a protective order.
Matthew Robbins, 47, was taken into custody on June 8, 2026, by the Oolitic Marshal’s Office. He faces a preliminary charge of Invasion of Privacy, which can be elevated based on a prior conviction for the same offense.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Oolitic Marshal’s Office Officer S. Hickman, the incident began at approximately 1:43 p.m. when dispatch flagged a 911 call originating from a residence at 308 6th Street in Oolitic.
Upon reviewing the address and call details, Officer Hickman recognized the location. From past law enforcement interactions, the officer knew there was an active, verified protective order in place barring Robbins from having contact with the female or being at her home.
When Officer Hickman arrived at the scene, he observed a gray Dodge Challenger with the personalized Indiana license plate “LUVM0RE” parked in the driveway, confirming the female was likely inside. However, when the officer knocked on the front door and announced his presence, no one answered. After multiple failed attempts to make contact, Officer Hickman requested backup from the Lawrence County Police Department.
Sergeant R. Compton and Officers K. Flynn and R. Paschall arrived shortly after to assist. Sergeant Compton made a second round of forceful knocks on the door. This time, the female answered from within, stating she had just stepped out of the shower and would be at the door shortly.
When the female opened the door, Officer Hickman informed her of the emergency call and directly asked if Robbins was inside. She initially denied that Robbins was on the property. However, her story quickly changed when Sergeant Compton informed her that officers were prepared to secure a search warrant to legally enter and clear the home.
Faced with a warrant, the female admitted that Robbins was indeed inside the house and had climbed up into the attic to hide.
The female formally consented to let the officers enter her home and escorted them to the location where Robbins was concealed. Investigators discovered that Robbins had accessed the attic by moving a piece of the ceiling tile and pulling himself upward into the crawlspace.
Robbins initially ignored commands from officers calling out to him. However, after repeated orders from Sergeant Compton, Robbins eventually relented, answered the officers, and climbed down from the ceiling.
Once back on the ground floor, Robbins complied with instructions and was placed in handcuffs by Officer Hickman. A search of his person yielded no weapons or contraband. Robbins was escorted to a patrol vehicle and transported directly to the Lawrence County Jail for booking.
A subsequent background check through the state’s electronic court system revealed that Robbins has a prior conviction for invasion of privacy out of Vigo County.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
