Monrovia Mayor’s Case Widens

Monrovia Mayor Robert T. Bartlett, who recently pleaded not guilty to charges of beating his pregnant girlfriend, has been accused of domestic abuse before, court papers show.

Monica Godfrey, 35, his girlfriend and the mother of their 4-year-old son, made similar allegations last August when she won a restraining order in San Bernardino Superior Court, records show.

Court Commissioner Bobby Vincent granted the three-year order based on Godfrey’s allegations that Bartlett, 60, verbally and physically abused her and their boy, Robert T. Bartlett Jr., on July 12.

“The . . . verbal abuse escalated to the point that Robert, the person to be restrained, got out of control completely [and] became physically abusive toward myself,” Godfrey wrote in court documents July 14.

“My son was terrified. He continued to threaten our lives and has weapons and has made threatening phone calls. We are living in constant fear for our lives,” Godfrey said in her court motion. Records show that Bartlett appeared at the August hearing on the restraining order but the file contains no written response to the allegations against him.

Godfrey alleged that similar incidents occurred July 4 and July 6 and blamed them on Bartlett’s consumption of prescription drugs and alcohol, court filings show.

In a short telephone interview with The Times, Bartlett said the allegations, including those made in relation to the arrest last month, are all part of an extortion plot. He refused to be specific or comment further.

Bartlett was arrested April 15 in San Bernardino on charges of abducting Godfrey, who is seven months pregnant, from a San Bernardino home, physically abusing her and threatening to throw her from a bridge.

San Bernardino Police Lt. Bill Smith said “the woman had bruises on her arm and a swollen face consistent with being struck by someone.”

Bartlett was released April 18 on $150,000 bail after pleading not guilty to felony counts of making terrorist threats, battery of a cohabitant and false imprisonment.

Two days later, Bartlett filed his own police report with Monrovia authorities, accusing Godfrey of forgery and grand theft, Monrovia Police Chief Joseph Santoro said.

“We’ve turned it over to the district attorney’s office because of the woman’s accusations against the mayor,” Santoro said. “Because of the potential for conflict of interest, it would be better if it’s handled by the D.A.”

District attorney spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said the prosecutor’s bureau of operations received the police report Wednesday. She said a district attorney’s investigator has been assigned to the case to decide if formal action is needed.

San Bernardino County officials said Bartlett had not made any fraud or grand theft complaints against his girlfriend to them. “We weren’t aware of any of those allegations,” said James Hackleman, chief deputy district attorney for the criminal division.

Records show that the San Bernardino County district attorney’s child support division filed a court action this week that would, within 30 days, require Bartlett to pay Godfrey child support for their son and the unborn child. The order requires Bartlett to pay $2,123 each month out of his $8,293 monthly salary as director of economic development-redevelopment for Rialto. Bartlett was suspended with pay from the post this week, after news of his April arrest broke.

Monrovia residents have reacted with shock to the events this week involving Bartlett, who is sometimes called “Mr. Monrovia” and has been a hometown hero since his days on the high school football field. With 26 years on the council, including a dozen years as elected mayor, Bartlett helped change the city of 36,000 from an overlooked suburb into a community that won All-American City recognition.

Determining just where Bartlett lives has become a topic of controversy as well. Bartlett’s girlfriend told San Bernardino police he lived with her in San Bernardino, in the 5200 block of Sierra Mesa Road. Neighbors interviewed by The Times confirmed that he had lived there with Godfrey since 1998. One neighbor who spoke on condition of anonymity said Bartlett “seemed like a kind man.”

But Bartlett is registered to vote in the 200 block of East Colorado Boulevard in Monrovia. City officials say they deliver Bartlett’s council packets to another Monrovia address on Fig Avenue.

Bartlett answered the phone at that residence this week and said that was proof that he resides in Monrovia. “This is where I live!” he exclaimed.