West Park couple claims vicious attack could’ve been prevented if court had granted restraining order

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Cleveland police are searching for four people accused of dragging a West Park couple out of their own home and beating them right outside. The vicious attack was captured on their ring doorbell camera.

Court documents show this Cleveland couple had an order of protection against their next-door neighbor Steven Rogers, the father of three out of the four people accused of the brutal assault.

Kelly Slobodian and her fiancé Mark Thomas Jr. claim their next-door neighbors have been terrorizing them for years.

“I’ve been a trauma nurse for years,” Slobodian said. “I never thought that I would be going through this, going in an ambulance to the emergency room as a trauma patient. I’ve had therapy. I have anxiety and panic attacks because of these people. I lived in West Park my whole life. I never had to deal with neighbors like these before ever.”

On Sunday evening, Cleveland police said they were called to a home on West 156th Street.

When they arrived, they found the couple battered and bleeding.

“We both had to spend nights in the hospital,” explained Thomas. “Kelly is terrified. I’m also scared for Kelly when I’m not home.”

According to the report, Thomas went to get something out of his car when Estee and Candice Rogers started attacking him from behind. Slobodian told police she thought they were trying to get her to come outside and fight.

“They started to come after me and I went into the house,” Slobodian said. “The two girls dragged me out of the house and started punching me on my porch. I couldn’t get back in my house because they broke my door. Mark was trying to get to me so that he could help me and they were beating him. The one brother and some guy that I don’t know I think a boyfriend came over and started kicking and punching mark to get him away from the girls so that they could continue punching me in the head and the one guy punched me in the face.”

In the video, you can see two women attack Thomas, and the same two women attack Slobodian on her porch.

You can also see another man punch Thomas; he’s later seen stomping on something that appears to be Thomas.

In the video, you also see Steven Rogers, the couple’s neighbor and father of three of the attackers watching the fight.

Thomas claims Steven Rogers has been harassing his fiancée for years and she already has an order of protection against him.

“He had cameras inside his tree pointed to her front door,” Thomas said. “He had cameras on his back door pointed at the back bedroom. He had cameras on his garage pointed into her garage and it was just out of control.”

Steven Rogers isn’t facing criminal charges because he wasn’t involved in the assault.

Slobodian said before the attack she tried to get an order of protection against her neighbor’s adult kids and court records show it was denied saying, “Ms. Slobodian and Mr. Thomas’ retelling of those events is highly exaggerated.”

The couple feels like the court system failed to protect them.

“We’re trying to do it the right way we want to make sure these people pay for what they’ve done,” Slobodian said. “I wanna feel safe in my home. I’ve worked hard for what I have. Mark works hard. We’re trying to build a life together. This is not fair. I told them that they’re just waiting to have them kill us.”

Cleveland police have warrants out for Estee and Candace Rogers for aggravated burglary, and warrants for Cordario Rogers and another man for felonious assault.

Steven Rogers claims it’s the other way around and the couple has been harassing his family for years.

19 News asked Rogers if he was a part of the assault or encouraged it in any way, and he said no. We also asked him if he wanted his family to jump the couple.

“No,” said Rogers. “No. No, see I’m telling you I’m trying to keep my kids out of this, and see what I’m saying is he came out here and spit in my face right there.”

Rogers claimed the couple was screaming and cursing at his daughters right before the fight.

The couple said they are suing Steven Rogers in civil court for property damage this week, so they think that may have also added to the tension.

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