A Hot Springs man was arrested late Wednesday on a felony warrant for the alleged rape of a local woman last year after DNA was reportedly matched to him.
Eric Carnel Hasty, 34, who lists a Mountain Pine Road address, was taken into custody shortly before 11 p.m. on a charge of rape, punishable by up to life in prison. He remained in custody Thursday on zero bond and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court.
Hasty was previously arrested on a charge of rape on June 13 involving a different woman, but the charge was withdrawn by prosecutors on Aug. 12 and Hasty was released the next day.
According to the probable cause affidavit on the new charge, on Aug. 1, 2018, at an unknown time in the afternoon, a local woman stated she was walking to Little Rock from her residence after an argument with her parents.
She made it to the Valero Cornerstone gas station, 2616 Albert Pike, when a black male in an unknown type of black vehicle approached her and asked if she wanted a ride. She said she told him she didn't have any money, but "he insisted because it was too hot outside."
She said she got in the vehicle and the man told her he needed to stop "a few places" before taking her to Little Rock. She said they stopped at Walmart, 1601 Albert Pike, where the man picked up some food from a woman. She noted the man and the woman kissed and stated they would see each other after work.
She said the man then drove her to a house or apartment and stated he had to go inside and insisted she come inside with him because "it was too hot for her to stay in the vehicle." She said she went in with him and followed him to his bedroom and sat on the bed, noting there was nowhere else to sit because "something was wrong with the couch."
She alleges the man exposed himself and then pulled her leggings off and raped her. She said she laid there trying to figure out a way to get him off her and he finally stopped after she expressed she was in pain.
She said she demanded he take her to Little Rock "like he said he would" and they got back in his vehicle. She said he then drove to Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, 2705 Central Ave., and told her he had to go in for a few minutes.
As soon as he was out of sight, the woman said she began looking through his vehicle for some kind of identification for the man. She allegedly found his Arkansas driver's license and a "Direct Express Card" which both had the name "Eric Hasty," which she said she memorized.
She was then able to get out of the vehicle and called for help. She made a report with Hot Springs police and was taken to the hospital where a sexual assault kit was collected.
On July 24, Detective Hunter Scott received confirmation from the state crime lab that the male DNA profile obtained from the accuser's clothing and the sexual assault kit was a positive match for Hasty.
According to the probable cause affidavit on the previous rape charge, on March 12 a woman reported to police she had been raped at an unknown location around 7 p.m. the night before.
After speaking to the woman, detectives were reportedly able to determine the location of the incident was a room at the Econo Lodge, 1204 Central. The woman stated she had met with a friend to purchase marijuana from an unknown man they knew only as "New York."
She said the man took her to the motel to purchase the marijuana where he forced her on the bed and raped her. He later took her back to her vehicle at another location. She described "New York" as a middle-aged black male who drove a silver Chrysler 300 and she told detectives the fast-food restaurant where he reportedly worked.
Scott went to the restaurant and spoke with the district manager to see if anyone matching the man's description or vehicle information was employed there and was provided an employee file for Hasty.
On April 26, the accuser came to the police department and was shown a photo lineup and "quickly and without hesitation" picked out a photo of Hasty and identified him as the man who had raped her, the affidavit states.
Local on 11/22/2019