Man allegedly attacks girlfriend with hammer, charged with felony battery
A local man was arrested on a felony battery charge Thursday morning after allegedly attacking his live-in girlfriend with a hammer, causing severe injuries. William Franklin Helton Jr., 53, of 219 Civic St., Apt. 104, was taken into custody at his residence shortly before 10:30 a.m. and charged with second-degree domestic battery, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Helton remained in custody Friday in lieu of $ 5,000 bond and is set to appear Dec. 16 in Garland County District Court.
According to the affidavit, around 4: 30 a. m., Hot Springs Police officers responded to the residence and made contact with the the victim, 64, who stated her longtime, live-in boyfriend, identified as Helton, had hit her in the head with a hammer. Officers noted they saw blood and a laceration to the back of her head.
She was transported by LifeNet to National Park Medical Center for treatment where doctors noted she had some older facial fractures to her left cheekbone. She stated those injuries occurred a few days earlier when Helton had punched her repeatedly in the face. She also had abrasions to her right forearm and elbow.
Helton was later brought to the police department for questioning and he claimed he “blacked out” while drinking alcohol during both incidents and didn’t recall punching the victim or hitting her with a hammer.
He reportedly stated that if the victim had said that was what happened, it “most likely did.”
• A local man was arrested early Friday on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges and traffic violations after leading police on a high speed pursuit through the city, wrecking and fleeing on foot.
Kyle Keith Robbins, 31, who lists an address of 137 Grandstaff Drive, was taken into custody around 12:30 a.m. and charged with a felony count of fleeing, punishable by up to six years in prison, and misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to one year in jail, and driving on a suspended driver’s license. He was also cited for careless and prohibited driving, disobeying numerous traffic signals, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, no proof of insurance and not wearing a seat belt.
Robbins was being held on bonds totaling $4,000 and also had holds on him from the Benton Police Department and the Saline County Sheriff’s Department and is set to appear Nov. 18 in district court.
According to reports, shortly after 11:30 p.m. Thursday, HSPD Officer Rostan saw a black Dodge Ram pickup pull onto Central from the Wal-Mart parking lot in the 4000 block and accelerate rapidly, spinning its tires.
He activated his lights to make a traffic stop at Buena Vista and Central, but instead of stopping the driver sped up and continued northbound at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, running traffic lights at Pakis Road, Television Hill, Vineyard, Greenwood and Grand where the pursuit was terminated because the officer lost sight of the vehicle.
Officers were notified by several pedestrians in the area that the suspect vehicle had wrecked at the intersection of Orange Street and Malvern Avenue and it was found abandoned near Orange and Broadway Terrace, where it had left the roadway and struck a concrete pillar and road sign.
The vehicle was heavily damaged, including the right rear wheel being separated from the vehicle, the steering wheel bent forward toward the dash and the windshield shattered.
It was also noted there were numerous empty alcoholic beverage containers in the vehicle and a glass smoking pipe and there was blood on the dash.
Pedestrians told police they saw the driver flee on foot running south on the Hot Springs Greenway toward East Grand. A short time later, officers found a white male, identified as Robbins, standing outside the Taco Bell, 141 E. Grand, and noted he was bleeding and had injuries to his face consistent with being in a wreck.
Robbins reportedly admitted he ran because he knew he had warrants for his arrest and because of the marijuana pipe in his possession. He
also admitted to not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.
•A local man was arrested Thursday morning on felony warrants stemming from allegations he fled from police late Monday and crashed his vehicle, causing more than $25,000 in damages.
Terrance Dewayne Scott, 36, who lists an address of 102 Grant St., was taken into custody shortly before noon and charged with felony fleeing and second- degree criminal mischief, each punishable by up to six years in prison.
He was later released on $10,000 bond and is set to appear Nov. 18 in district court.
According to the affidavit, on Monday, shortly after 10 p.m., HSPD Officer Branstetter was on routine patrol in the 500 block of Malvern Avenue when he saw a blue Chevrolet Impala headed north with one headlight out.
He got behind the car and activated his lights to make a traffic stop near Garden Street and the driver slowed down like he was going to stop, but then sped away at a high rate of speed.
The pursuit continued eastbound on Garden onto Pleasant Street where the suspect ran stop signs at Grand and Silver before losing control near Pleasant and Summit Street colliding with a mailbox and a city trash can and a trailer.
The car continued south pushing the trailer ahead of it into a power pole, causing it to snap, and then hit a second power pole, splitting it, and an AT&T phone box, at Pleasant and Ash streets before finally coming to rest.
Total damages were estimated at $25,125, including $10,000 for each of the power poles.
The driver fled the scene on foot, but three days later HSPD Officer Clem was reading the report and recognized the registered owner of the vehicle, listed as Scott, as someone she had previous dealings with so she called him.
Scott came to the police department Thursday and after being questioned admitted he was driving his car that night and fled the police and crashed. He said he fled because he knew his driver’s li- cense was suspended and was afraid he would go to jail.