HS man charged with beating girlfriend, her sister, with cane
A Hot Springs man was arrested on felony warrants Wednesday night stemming from allegations he attacked his girlfriend and her sister last month, beating them both with his cane and reportedly fracturing the sister’s skull.
William Maxfield Harris, 57, who lists a 302 McClendon St. address, was taken into custody at his home on charges of first-degree battery, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and second-degree domestic battery, punishable by up to 10 years.
Harris remained in custody Thursday on $25,000 bond and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on July 18, around 3 a.m. Hot Springs police officers were flagged down in the 300 block of McClendon Street in reference to a battery.
Officers made contact with a woman who said her live-in boyfriend, Harris, had beaten her and her sister after she and he got into an argument about her trying to leave the residence.
She said the argument became physical when she told him her sister was coming to pick her up. She said he punched her in the nose and bit her on the left shoulder. She said Harris continued hitting her and used his walking cane to hit her about four times in the back of her head, causing a head laceration and knocking her out.
She said that when she woke up, her sister had arrived at the residence and the altercation continued. Harris allegedly pulled a knife on her at one point and attempted to stab her, cutting her on the right forearm. She said her sister got in between them trying to stop the altercation and he hit her sister in the head with his cane hard enough to knock her out for several minutes and caused a large knot to form on the right side of her head.
When her sister woke up they were both able to exit the residence and flag down police.
Both women were transported to National Park Medical Center where the girlfriend received several staples for the laceration on her head and was released. Her sister reportedly suffered a skull fracture and a brain bleed that required brain surgery on July 19.
Warrants for Harris were issued and he was featured on the department’s Warrant Wednesday on Facebook.