An Oak Harbor man may face a robbery charge for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend and taking $50 from her.

Fred L. Swayzer III, 24, pleaded not guilty in Island County Superior Court July 15 to felony violation of a court order.

During a hearing Monday, his attorney, Corinne Clarke, asked for her client’s bail to be reduced from $50,000 to $10,000. She said Swayzer has a very supportive family and a job waiting for him.

“He is not a danger to society or a flight risk,” Clarke said.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Eric Ohme, however, said he will be making a motion to amend the charge against Swayzer to first-degree robbery, which is more serious.

Ohme also said Swayzer has a history of domestic assault involving the same woman.

Judge Vickie Churchill ruled that nothing has changed since Swayzer’s bail was set at $50,000 and she sees no reason to reduce it.

Police Officer Lisa Powers-Rang responded to a report of a domestic assault on Southeast Fourth Avenue July 12. The alleged victim claimed Swayzer, who was “high on meth” for three or four days, hit her, broke into her car and stole her money, Powers-Rang said in her report.

Swayzer was served with a no-contact order two days earlier which barred him from contact with the woman, the report states.

The woman said she was giving Swayzer a ride in her car when he became enraged when she tried to help him by calling his mother to give him a ride. She said he punched her a dozen times on the arm, the report states.

The woman told police she drove to her apartment complex and Swayzer got out. She sat in her car crying when he came back and put his arm into the car to try to unlock it. She put the car in reverse to try to get away, but he managed to open the door and took a $50 bill from her, the report states.

Swayzer ran away, but police found him a few minutes later, according to the report.