A Texas doctor-patient love triangle was exposed when a married therapist allegedly pulled a gun on his lover after she tried to end their affair, cops said.
Thaddeus Tolbert has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and burglary, in connection with an alleged attack on his now former girlfriend in April 2024, according to charging documents reviewed by HNGN.
Tolbert first met the victim, Jhyah Scales, in October 2023, when he was treating her son at his clinic, Discerning Minds Consulting, in Houston. In February, Scales also became a patient.
By March, Tolbert and Scales became romantically involved, but a month later, she found out he was married with children, and she tried to end things at his office.
In response, he allegedly threatened her with a gun, pinned Scales against the wall, and screamed at her not to leave him, according to the records.
Tolbert allegedly only freed her when someone knocked on his office door. Scales took the opportunity to flee to her car, pick up her child from school, and return to her apartment, where Tolbert was allegedly waiting for her.
Scales handed her daughter off to a neighbor and she ran inside her apartment through a back door. Tolbert allegedly forced his way in through the front.
He then allegedly kissed her while he choked her out, told her loved her, "and that they would die before he let her walk away," the documents read.
"He pulled out his gun to put to my head and pushed it down, and he hit it back up, so it hit me when it came back up. And I was just, like, 'Please just leave,' and he said, 'I am going to kill you. I am going to kill us both,'" Scales told KTRK-TV Thursday.
He later left and returned about 30 minutes later when she threatened to tell his wife about their affair.
The pair allegedly scuffled over her cell phone and Tolbert allegedly waived his gun at Scales again and choked her several times, while stating, "I'm going to kill you... I'm going to kill us both... why are you doing this... I love you too much," according to the documents.
Scales allegedly sustained multiple bruises and a black eye before her attacker eventually left her apartment.
"I was really caught off guard. I didn't think someone like this could be capable, because he is a mental health professional, because he's a therapist, and because he is active in the community," Scales told the station.
"I feel as embarrassed as I am. I have to do something because I could've died in there with my child," she added, accusing Tolbert of using her trauma to manipulate her.
"I just got out of a very toxic and traumatic relationship, which I had to express to him as my therapist, the reason why I was in therapy. And I feel like he used everything I just told him, (what) I went through, (was used) against me," explained Scales.
Tolbert's defense attorney, Michael Monks, said his client is innocent and they look forward to their day in court, the outlet reported.
Tolbert was released on $50,000 bond and is prohibited from having any contact with Scales, according to a protective order.
