A Hot Springs parolee who allegedly shot a man early Sunday inside a local motel room was arrested on felony warrants Tuesday afternoon by Hot Springs police at a residence on Francis Street.
Fredrick Demont Hayes, 44, who lists a Morrison Avenue address, was taken into custody shortly before 4:30 p.m. and charged with felony counts of first-degree battery and possession of a firearm by certain persons, each punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and misdemeanor warrants for theft by receiving and fleeing on foot.
Hayes was being held on zero bond and was set to appear today in Garland County District Court.
According to court records, Hayes was convicted in 1996 of robbery and sentenced to 10 years in prison, in 2002 of second-degree battery and sentenced to five years in prison, and in 2009 of second-degree battery and terroristic threatening and sentenced to five years' probation, all in Nevada County.
In 2018 in Hempstead County, he was convicted of possession of a firearm by certain persons and sentenced to five years in prison, and in 2021 in Garland County of felony theft of property, but was later paroled.
According to the probable cause affidavit on Tuesday's arrest, shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday, police officers responded to one of the rooms at the Days Inn, 2208 Central Ave., in reference to a shooting.
Officers found a man, age not listed, lying on a bed inside the room "with blood around his legs." They noted he had suffered a gunshot wound through his right foot and had another entry wound on his left calf.
The man reportedly stated he was shot by a Black male known to him as "OG" who had tattoos of the letters "OG" on both sides of his face.
He said he was "hanging out" with "OG" and three witnesses, one male and two females, in the room when "OG" suddenly stood up and shot him in the foot and then fled the room in an unknown direction.
All three of the witnesses were interviewed and their statements were the same as the victim, the affidavit says.
Detective Shawn Woodall recognized the name "OG" as being Hayes "due to past incidents" and obtained a photo of him that was shown to the victim and witnesses who reportedly all confirmed he was the shooter in the incident.
A warrant for Hayes' arrest on the battery charge was issued Tuesday morning and he was located later that day at a residence in the 100 block of Francis Street. The warrants on the misdemeanor theft and fleeing charges were reportedly issued on Oct. 17, 2023.