The mother of one of two suspects accused of kidnapping a 19-year-old woman last year was arrested Wednesday after allegedly making Facebook posts threatening and harming the reputation of the victim and a friend of hers.
Sheena Renee Bland, 41, who lists a Convention Boulevard address, was charged with two felony counts of intimidating a witness, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and was also arrested on a failure to appear warrant. She was later released on $6,000 bond and is set to appear Oct. 23 in Garland County District Court.
Bland's son, Marcus Tre Bland III, 21, and an alleged accomplice, Djuan Larell Goodman, 22, were arrested Dec. 4, 2017, on felony charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault and second-degree battery and misdemeanor theft of property in connection with the Nov. 8 kidnapping and assault of a local woman.
Both men reportedly turned themselves in to Hot Springs police after learning of the warrants for their arrest and have remained in custody since then. Marcus Bland, who is being held on $500,000 bond, is set to stand trial on Oct. 22 and Goodman, who is being held on $750,000 bond, is set to stand trial on Feb. 6, 2019.
On Aug. 21, prosecutors added an additional kidnapping charge against Marcus Bland alleging he also held a friend of the victim against her will that same night.
According to the probable cause affidavit for Sheena Bland, on Sept. 4, shortly after noon, she posted two "screenshot" photos of the victim and her friend to her Facebook profile and in the caption made reference to the charges against her son, including the additional kidnapping charge.
The caption also stated, "All you guys who have rejected these girls better move out of Hot Springs cuz 1 of you will be picked up soon." She indicated she would be posting more about the case and accused the victim and her friend of "prostitution and drug buys" and implied the victim was "mentally incompetent."
The affidavit states the profile Sheena Bland used to post the photos was named "Sheena Re'ena Bland" and that the post "intentionally threatens or attempts to harm (the victim's) and (her friend's) reputation as victims in an upcoming jury trial." A warrant for Sheena Bland was issued on Sept. 5.
According to the affidavit on Marcus Bland and Goodman, on Nov. 8, 2017, police responded to the 3000 block of Central Avenue just before 8 p.m. in reference to a woman exiting a gold BMW with blood and tape on her face, hands and feet.
She later stated a friend had driven her to an unknown address in a gold BMW earlier that day and the friend had gone inside the residence. She said Goodman, who she knew, emerged from the house and forced her out of the car at gunpoint and attacked her.
At some point, she alleged Bland, who she also knew, came out and helped Goodman force her and her friend back into the car where they bound her arms and legs and mouth with tape. They later released the victim's friend and after being attacked further and threatened the victim was eventually able to escape from the vehicle and get help.
Local on 10/12/2018