Suspect arrested for home invasion, aggravated robbery
A Mountain Pine man was arrested early Friday for allegedly attacking a man with a knife earlier this month during a home invasion and attempted robbery.
Lonnie Eugene Blocker, 55, who lists a Cozy Acres Road address, was taken into custody on warrants around 12:30 a.m. at the Pine Bluff Detention Center and charged with felony counts of aggravated robbery and aggravated residential burglary, each punishable by up to life in prison, aggravated assault, punishable by up to six years, and misdemeanor counts of third-degree battery and first-degree criminal mischief, each punishable by up to one year in jail.
Blocker was being held on zero bond and is set to appear Aug. 9 in Garland County District Court.
According to the affidavit, on July 11, shortly before 9 p.m., the alleged victim was in the front living room of a residence
in the 700 block of South Street where he had been hired by the homeowner to paint the interior.
He stated a maroon pickup pulled up and an unknown white male exited the pickup and entered the house. The man asked if anyone was home and then began searching the house. The man asked the victim about the whereabouts of a woman and the victim told him he didn’t know the woman in question.
The man began accusing the victim of sleeping with the woman and then demanded the victim’s cellphone. The victim refused and at that point the man pulled a large knife out of the back of his pants and demanded his phone again, threatening to kill him.
The victim again refused and the man rushed at him brandishing the knife and pushed the victim into a window, breaking it, which caused a laceration to his right elbow. The man then fled the residence.
The homeowner was contacted and responded to the scene. He told Hot Springs police the woman the man was asking about was his sister and he noted the description of the attacker sounded like his sister’s ex-boyfriend, identified as Blocker, who drives a maroon pickup.
On July 13, the victim was shown a photo lineup consisting of photos of Blocker and five other white males with similar features and the victim positively identified Blocker as the one who attacked him.