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Deputies: Caraway man used ‘red hot’ knife to burn tattoo off victim’s wrist

Deputies: Caraway man used ‘red hot’ knife to burn tattoo off victim’s wrist

Photo: Contributed/Craighead County Sheriff's Office


Caraway, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Aug. 11, 2025 – A previously-convicted Caraway man is facing a felony charge after deputies said he heated a knife with a lighter and used it to burn and scrape a tattoo off a victim’s wrist during a fight.

On Aug. 9, Craighead County deputies were sent to a home on School Street in Caraway for a domestic disturbance with injury.

According to an affidavit, deputies met with the victim, who said 38-year-old Zachary Russell Rhodes had been gone for the entire day, and when he got home, was “acting crazy” and got upset about a tattoo on the victim’s wrist from a previous relationship. This resulted in a “heated and physical altercation.”

The victim told deputies that Rhodes struck them several times and held them down. The affidavit said Rhodes then heated a knife with a lighter until it was “red hot” and stuck it to their wrist in an attempt to burn and scrape off the tattoo. Deputies noted that this caused severe burns, causing the victim to be taken to a hospital.

Deputies found Rhodes at another location on School Street and took him into custody. The affidavit said Rhodes admitted he harmed the victim’s arm because they had someone else’s name on it he did not like.

Craighead County District Judge David Boling found probable cause on Aug. 11 to charge Rhodes with second-degree domestic battering. The affidavit noted that Rhodes was previously convicted of third-degree domestic battery in Dec. 2024.

In addition to the $125,000 bond, Boling ordered Rhodes to wear a GPS ankle monitor upon release.

Rhodes’ next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 14.

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