The ex-husband of a woman who was beaten so severely that police said she was unrecognizable was arrested on a felony battery charge Saturday.
Mason Zeigler, 42, of 132 Oak St. Apt. 12, was taken into custody at his residence around 2:30 a.m. Saturday and charged with second-degree domestic battery, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. He remained in custody Monday on zero bond and is set to appear Oct. 31 in Garland County Circuit Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Hot Springs police who responded to a battery call at the apartment complex at around 1:30 a.m. Saturday heard a woman moaning upstairs after entering the lobby.
Officers found Zeigler in a hallway near the entry door leaning over his ex-wife, who was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall. She was reportedly mumbling incoherently.
Zeigler allegedly told officers she "needed an ambulance" and he had "messed up," stating "I beat her." His hands were covered in blood and it was splattered across his clothing, face and shoes.
The woman was reportedly barely able to sit on the floor without falling over and had large amounts of blood coming from both nostrils, her mouth and both sides of her head. It appeared as if she was having difficulty breathing and remaining conscious. Officers noted she had a large pool of blood between her legs and continuously vomited blood.
Her eyes were reportedly almost swollen shut and she had large amounts of bruising already forming around her face. She appeared to have fractures and breaks around her nose and eyes, as well.
She was "unrecognizable when compared to her driver's license photograph," the affidavit said.
Zeigler allegedly told police they had an argument that turned physical. He reportedly began punching her and then kneed her and kicked her in the face numerous times with a steel-toed boot.
He reportedly told officers she has a pacemaker and he most likely struck it during the confrontation, admitting "he knew this could have caused her death." He reportedly admitted he choked her to restrict her airflow, but not to the point where she lost consciousness. He stated that, after the attack, he had to prevent her from choking on her tongue because she began having seizures.
Zeigler said the attack lasted about 30 minutes, and that he beat her until he thought she wouldn't "cheat on him again."
Local on 10/24/2017