Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – A Jonesboro man faces multiple felony charges after police said he repeatedly assaulted his girlfriend, struck her with a metal water bottle, and blocked her from leaving a residence over a two-day period.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Jonesboro Police Department officers responded on June 24 to an apartment on Willow Road regarding a domestic disturbance that had occurred previously.

The victim reported that her boyfriend, Jared Anthony Holt, attacked her at a residence on Sun Circle on the night of June 23. She said she managed to escape and return home the next day.

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The victim stated that she and an intoxicated Holt engaged in a verbal argument. When she attempted to grab her bag and leave the room, Holt allegedly punched her twice in the back of the head with a closed fist, forced her onto a bed, and cursed at her.

Sometime later, the victim said she tried to leave the room again. The affidavit states that Holt struck her over the back of the head with a metal, thermos-type water bottle. She said the blow caused her to become dizzy, and as she rolled onto the floor face down, Holt reportedly continued to strike her in the back of the head. The victim told officers she feared for her life during the assault.

The affidavit said that the victim attempted to escape seven to eight times. Holt allegedly thwarted her efforts by throwing her clothes into the yard, forcing her to retrieve them, and dragging her back inside the residence by wrapping his arm tightly around her neck and covering her mouth. The victim said she became too weak to escape and feared Holt would follow through on threats to target her mother’s residence. She remained confined to the bedroom even when Holt left her alone to shower or go to work.

The victim said she escaped on foot the following afternoon after Holt began shouting at her again and attempted a subsequent attack, striking her neck and back area as she fled. A motorist who was driving near the residence corroborated her account, telling investigators he was flagged down by the victim at the intersection of Dayton Avenue and Parkside Drive.

Investigators noted that the victim’s physical injuries were consistent with repeated strikes to the head, a concussion, and suspected suffocation.

Holt and his housemates initially provided conflicting statements, claiming the victim had not been at the Sun Circle address for several days prior to the incident. Following further investigation, a bench warrant was issued on July 1, and Holt was taken into custody on July 2.

Holt appeared before Judge Tommy Fowler, who found probable cause to charge him with the following:

• First-degree false imprisonment, a Class C felony
• Aggravated assault on a family or household member, a Class D felony
• Third-degree domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor

Holt’s bond was set at $50,000. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim and wear GPS tracking device upon release. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 21 at the Craighead County Courthouse.

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