A man in Springdale is accused of kidnapping and torturing his pregnant wife, according to reports from Washington County. Arkansas authorities arrested the 35-year-old man on violent crimes charges, including rape, kidnapping, battery and more. The man has pleaded innocent and is expected to appear with his criminal defense representation on April 3 in a Washington County circuit court.
The details of the alleged crimes have been deemed upsetting by authorities, with officers being alerted to the presence of an allegedly kidnapped woman in the man’s apartment back in December. When police arrived on the scene, the accused man had already fled, and officers discovered a female victim who was badly beaten. The woman’s fingers were broken, and her eyes and lips were swollen closed. She told officers the suspected man was her husband and that he had picked her up from a return flight from Puerto Rico.
The woman attested the man accused her of infidelity before allegedly punching her in the stomach. The woman is pregnant, a fact she told police the man knew, and she further attested that he threatened to kill her. He has since been arrested and now faces charges including possession of a firearm, terroristic threats, drug possession with intent to deliver, as well as the aforementioned rape and kidnapping charges, which are each punishable by up to life in prison.
Violent crimes of this nature are doubtlessly horrific, but it must be proven in court that the accused man was responsible for committing them. Arkansas prosecutors carry the burden of this proof, while the man’s criminal defense counsel will work to absolve him of these charges by carefully reviewing the facts of the case. This review will be critical in building a strong case in his defense.