Michael B., 53, lives in Houston with his fourth wife Rachel B., who recently filed assault charges against her husband. She claims that he got violent with her on Aug. 13 when he grabbed her arm and pulled it behind her back. Michael B. was arrested and is out on bail, but he is not allowed near his wife currently.

Darlina B. of Colorado is not surprised to hear about these new charges, but she is still worried about Rachel B. Michael B. has been married four times, and Darlina B. was his third wife. Their marriage ended years ago after she also accused her husband of assault. He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault following an incident that involved him beating Darlina B. while she was pregnant.

The baby and Darlina B. survived, but the couple divorced, and a court awarded Darlina B. more than $3 million in damages and custody of their children. Michael B. was allowed to visit the kids as long as the visits were supervised.

After the divorce, Darlina B. moved to Colorado with the couple's two daughters and remarried, but she is still fighting to this day to finalize a custody agreement that she feels comfortable with. The couple's custody agreement does not explicitly say that Michael B. cannot see nor contact his daughters, and Darlina B. wants those rules in writing.

Based on her years of experience with Michael B., the fact that he has been caught with cocaine in his system and the new assault charges filed by his new wife, Darlina B.'s hope to protect her daughters from their father has likely intensified.

If he is convicted of assault in this most recent case, then Michael B. could be put in prison for up to 10 years, which would at least keep him from his kids during that time. But Darlina B. wants to protect her daughters further than that and get the custody agreement to legally strip her ex of his rights as a father. 

Resource

The Houston Chronicle: Ex-Houston hand surgeon accused in wife's assault (8/24/2010)