OCONTO COUNTY (NBC 26) — A judge on Tuesday ruled that Obilio Tomas Sargento Roblero — the man charged in a hit-and-run crash that killed retired Green Bay police officer Thomas (Tom) Roberts last fall — is competent to stand trial, clearing the way for the criminal case to proceed.
Roblero, 33, is charged in Oconto County Circuit Court with hit-and-run causing death related to an Oct. 25, 2024 crash in the Town of Gillett. Following Tuesday’s ruling, a preliminary hearing was scheduled for Oct. 23, 2025.
The crash occurred in the area of Shawano County Line Road and Nelson Road. According to the criminal complaint and law enforcement statements, Roberts was riding an ATV and had stopped to help two other riders. Prosecutors say a westbound GMC Acadia hit Roberts’ ATV; Roberts was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver left the vehicle and fled on foot, authorities say.
Roblero was identified by the Oconto County Sheriff’s Office and was located and arrested in Arkansas days after the crash. Investigators recovered items from the vehicle, including a can of beer and a cell phone, which were taken as evidence, according to the complaint. The complaint also reports that Roblero called his wife after the collision and told her he had been driving home when he swerved to avoid a deer, then collided with an unlit UTV and ATV on the shoulder. Roblero allegedly told his wife he panicked and ran into the woods.
The case has had interrupted proceedings this year after a court-ordered competency examination. In March 2025 a judge accepted the findings of a psychologist’s report and ruled Roblero was not competent to stand trial at that time; the court concluded the defendant was likely to regain competency within the statutory 12‑month period and ordered treatment and periodic re-evaluations. Under Wisconsin law, competency findings can be revisited, and the defendant’s competency status was monitored while he received psychiatric treatment.
Tuesday’s ruling reverses that earlier finding. Court records show the defendant is now considered able to understand the nature of the proceedings and to assist in his defense, allowing the prosecution to move forward. The Oct. 23 preliminary hearing will determine whether the case will proceed to trial.
What happens next
- Preliminary hearing: Oct. 23, 2025, Oconto County Circuit Court — to determine whether charges should be bound over for trial.
- Possible commitments or evaluations: If questions about competency or mental health resurface, the court may again order evaluations or treatment reports.
- Public records: The Oconto County case is listed under case number 2024CF000185 in the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access system.
Victim and community reaction Thomas (Tom) Roberts, 60, was a retired Green Bay police officer. Local reports said he stopped to help other riders at the time of the crash, and his death has drawn attention from law enforcement and community members in northeastern Wisconsin.
Please stay with NBC 26 as this story develops.
