GONZALES — — Ascension Parish Councilman Joel Robert turned himself in on Monday morning after an arrest warrant was issued for Robert allegedly attempting to run over another person with his vehicle.
Councilman Joel Robert was arrested on Feb. 2, 2026 and charged with one count of aggravated assault, which is a misdemeanor.
The incident in question dates back to Jan. 2, 2026 where Robert was allegedly accidentally cut off by a driver coming off a construction zone. Robert is accused of losing his temper, going up to the victim and exchanging words while hitting the victim’s car window, per law enforcement.
“When the victim attempted to photograph the suspect’s license plate with his cellular phone, the suspect began driving erratically through the parking lot and intentionally aimed his vehicle toward the victim, nearly striking him,” Gonzales PD said in a new release.
It happened in the parking lot at Chips to Go on Burnside and it was all caught on surveillance video.
Robert, who represents the southeast portion of Ascension Parish, has been embroiled in controversy for several weeks.
In January, he was sued for defamation after a parish employee claimed a Facebook post made by Robert contained false allegations. The widely circulated post alleged inappropriate behavior, including a lap dance and drug use.
The Facebook post has since been removed.
Robert was previously censured by the Ascension Parish Council in 2020 after a profanity-packed voicemail was left on the phone of a parish secretary.
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