Man pleads innocent to taking hostage, 18

HOT SPRINGS — A sex offender accused of holding a Little Rock woman hostage and assaulting a sheriff’s deputy during his arrest pleaded innocent to felony charges Wednesday in Garland County District Court.

Malcolm Brian Pearce, 52, of 67 Stonegate Shores Drive was taken into custody about 11 a.m. April 5 at his residence and later charged with first-degree false imprisonment, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and second-degree battery, punishable by up to six years.

Pearce appeared via video in District Court on Wednesday before special appointed Judge Danny Thrailkill of Scott County and pleaded innocent to both charges with a felony review hearing now set for June 7.

Bond for Pearce was set at $6,000 at the hearing, but he remained in custody Thursday on a zero bond parole hold. A court order barring Pearce from contact with the victim was also issued.

Pearce is registered in Garland County as a Level 3 sex offender who is likely to re-offend. He was convicted April 10, 2015, in Jefferson County of felony fleeing and sentenced to six months in jail. When he fled, Pearce was being sought on felony warrants out of Missouri for forcible rape, first-degree sodomy with a child younger than 14, statutory rape, child molestation, enticement of a child, endangering the welfare of a child and sexual misconduct with a child younger than 15.

According to the probable cause affidavit on Friday’s arrest, shortly after 6:30 a.m. Friday, the Garland County Communications Center received a call from an advocate for women who works with the Genesis Project of Arkansas.

The Genesis Project, according to its website, is “a survivor-led and founded, faith-based organization whose mission is to reach and empower individuals overcoming exploitation and sex trafficking and train other organizations to do the same, while establishing a healthy, meaningful coalition forging statewide collaboration.”

The advocate said she received a message from an 18-year-old woman she advocates for who asked her to send law enforcement to her location and dropped a PIN for the location that showed as 67 Stonegate Shores Drive.

The woman indicated that a man at that residence “would not let her leave” and was holding her there against her will. She told the advocate that the man’s name was Malcolm Pearce. Garland County sheriff’s deputies responded to that address, which was the known residence of Pearce, and tried to establish contact but could not get anyone to come to the door.

The woman had an open phone line with the advocate along with Cpl. Thomas Fox from the patrol division. Sheriff’s investigators, the department’s Tactical Response Team and Crisis Negotiating Team also responded to the scene.

A search warrant for the residence was obtained and a throw phone was deployed into the house to communicate with Pearce, authorities said. Tactical Response Team members were able to locate the woman inside and remove her from the residence around 10 a.m.

Tactical Response Team members made entry into the house and found Pearce hiding in an attic area, authorities said. While being taken into custody, Pearce punched one Tactical Response Team member in the left side of his face, authorities said.

Pearce was taken into custody and transported to the jail after being medically cleared by LifeNet. The woman was brought to the sheriff’s office, where she was interviewed by investigators.

She said she had arrived at Pearce’s residence around 8 p.m. on April 4. The affidavit did not indicate the reason for her visit, but she stated that “during the night” Pearce “started making her feel uncomfortable.” When she told Pearce she “just wanted to get her stuff and leave,” he wouldn’t let her, the affidavit says.

She said that “every time she would try and leave he would step in front of her, blocking the doorway, acting agitated,” the affidavit says. When she asked him if she could leave, he told her no, the affidavit says. That was when she reached out to her advocate with the Genesis Project asking for help and for her to send law enforcement, the affidavit says.

She noted that when deputies arrived at the residence, Pearce had the lights off and “told her to be quiet.” She said she begged him to “just let her answer the door,” but he refused. At one point she went into the restroom and when she came back out Pearce had placed a black handgun on the table in the master bedroom, the affidavit says.

She said she continued to stay in contact with her advocate and tried to leave several times but he would block her exit every time and tell her she couldn’t go.