HS man charged after break-in, alleged attack on ex-girlfriend

Rodney Hester Giles - Submitted photo
Rodney Hester Giles - Submitted photo

A Hot Springs man was arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges early Friday after allegedly forcing his way into his ex-girlfriend's apartment and assaulting her and her roommate.

Rodney Hester Giles, 34, who lists a Poplar Street address, was taken into custody shortly before 1 a.m. and charged with felony counts of residential burglary, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and aggravated assault, punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of third-degree battery, punishable by up to one year in jail.

Giles was being held on bonds totaling $8,500 and was set to appear Friday in Garland County District Court.

According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly after 12:30 a.m., Hot Springs police Officer Richard Davis responded to the apartments at 1510 Spring St. regarding a burglary in progress.

While he was en route, he was told the known suspect, identified as Giles, had just left the scene in a red Lincoln Town Car headed north on Spring. Officers spotted the vehicle near the intersection of Spring and Reserve streets and made a traffic stop and took Giles into custody.

Davis went on to the apartment and spoke to the two female victims. One told him Giles, her ex-boyfriend, had come to her apartment and kicked in the locked front door. She said she told him to leave, but he refused and then began yelling at her about her leaving for a trip.

He then went into the back bedroom where the roommate was sleeping and woke her up, yelling at her that he was "going to beat her up." When the ex-girlfriend attempted to intervene and stop him, he allegedly threw her to the floor.

Then Giles allegedly head-butted the roommate in the nose and when she tried to fight back, he grabbed a hammer and threw it at her. The hammer missed hitting her, but struck the wall, causing a hole in the drywall.

The ex-girlfriend screamed for their other roommate to call the police and when Giles heard this he fled the scene, taking the hammer with him.

Officers noted visible damage to the front door of the apartment and the injuries to the roommate, including a bloody nose from the head butt and cuts to her right finger.

Local on 04/18/2020

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