A Hot Springs man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to robbery and first-degree battery in connection with the shooting of a 16-year-old male outside a residence last year.
Jamar Ray'Von Harris, 20, was initially arrested Nov. 16, 2017, and only charged with first-degree battery, but on Dec. 12, the additional felony charge of aggravated robbery was added. He pleaded guilty Thursday in Garland County Circuit Court to an amended charge of robbery and the original charge of first-degree battery and was sentenced to 20 years on each count, to run concurrently.
Harris, who had no prior felony history, was also ordered to pay $420 in court costs and was barred permanently from any future contact with the victim in the incident. He will be given credit for time served since his arrest.
According to the probable cause affidavit on the charges, on Nov. 9, 2017, shortly after 6:30 p.m., the Garland County Sheriff's Department received a call of shots fired at a residence in the 100 block of Fernwood Street, located off Catherine Heights Road. Deputies arrived and found the 16-year-old in the carport with gunshot wounds to his chest and back.
The victim was initially transported to the emergency room at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs and "had no pulse" for several minutes, his mother told The Sentinel-Record after the arrest of Harris.
"They wouldn't give up on him and just kept working on him and brought him back," she said. "They saved his life."
He was later transferred to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock where he underwent surgery on his back, she said, noting he lost one kidney, his spleen, part of his liver and part of his pancreas and one bullet also hit his spine.
According to the affidavit, another juvenile male was present at the residence at the time of the incident. He told investigators he had been in contact with Harris, who later came to the residence. The witness said he, the victim and Harris sat inside a vehicle in the carport, then the witness went inside for a moment.
While the witness was inside, another person inside the residence asked, "What was that noise?" The witness said he went back outside and found the victim had been shot and Harris had fled the scene. Two spent shell casings were found inside the carport and a handgun was later found on the property.
On Dec. 8, the victim was interviewed and stated he and the witness were at the Fernwood residence "to help clean the yard up." He said the witness made arrangements for another male, later identified as Harris, to come to their location so they could "smoke" together.
At one point, he said the witness went inside and left him alone with Harris in the truck. He said Harris displayed a handgun and stated, "I'm taking all this," referring to the marijuana in the truck. He said he and Harris got into an altercation which caused them to exit the truck and during the altercation Harris shot him.
Local on 09/22/2018