This is a roundup of felony charges filed Sept. 19 through Oct. 2, 2025, by the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office. Some defendants may also have misdemeanor charges against them, but most are not included here. The following names and charges, which are contained within public documents, are gathered from online court records available through ARCourts. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Here’s a rundown of felony cases filed in the past two weeks:
Inmate’s escape foiled by bad aim with taser
Jailers at the Clark County Detention Center had their hands full when booking Christopher Trevon Avington into the jail.
On Aug. 30, the 22-year-old Arkadelphia man was being booked on charges of Terroristic Threatening and Domestic Battery when he refused to be dressed in jail attire. Avington reportedly became agitated, slamming the dressing room door shut.
Two jailers were able to force the door open. As one jailer entered, Avington grabbed his taser and shot at him. He missed, deploying the weapon instead onto the floor. A police affidavit says this action was Avington’s attempt to escape custody.
The other jailer was able to knock the taser from Avington’s grasp, knocking it down the hallway. Both jailers then began to wrestle with Avington in an attempt to gain control over him. A pair of inmates also got tangled up in the match, apparently trying to aid in regaining control over Avington. One inmate was able to grab the jailer’s radio, and called for help. A police affidavit omits the details of what happened when “other officers arrived”, but it can be deduced that Avington was eventually dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit.
In addition to the original charges, which aren’t included in the case information, Avington is charged with two counts of Aggravated Assault on an Employee of a Correctional Facility and one count of Escape.
Bond was set at $85,000.
Gurdon sex offender accused of imprisoning woman, putting cigarettes out on her
A Gurdon man with a history of sex offenses is accused in the beating of a woman while holding her against her will.
William Shane Smith, 46, was arrested on Sept. 18 following a domestic abuse report filed the previous day. Smith reportedly accused the victim of being in a pornographic video on a website, and during the argument that ensued allegedly locked the victim into a back room and strangled her with a belt, causing the victim to pass out numerous times. Smith allegedly head-butted the victim and extinguished cigarettes on the victim’s body while she was locked away. Police observed injuries consistent with the victim’s story.
The victim said she was later able to escape Smith while they were in Hope, where they had gone to shop at the local Walmart; she said she convinced Smith to go inside the store, allowing her enough time to leave and call the Hope Police Department.
A police affidavit notes that Smith is a convicted felon and registered sex offender.
He was arrested Sept. 18. Bond was set at $70,000, which was posted Sept. 22 by Hot Springs Bail Bond Company.
Smith is charged with False Imprisonment, Aggravated Assault on a Family or Household Member, 2nd-degree Battery, and Terroristic Threatening. Prosecutors are seeking a penalty enhancement given Smith’s status as a habitual offender.
Chainsaw theft caught on car dealer’s camera
On the evening of Aug. 19 Arkadelphia police were dispatched to Vo Auto Sales, 2505 Barkman St., where the proprietor reported the theft of two Stihl chainsaws. Truman Vo told authorities that he was made aware of the theft when an employee notified him and accused Kyler Jaden Phifer of the crime. It was also alleged that Phifer, 22, had pawned the power tools at Arkadelphia Pawn & Gun.
Vo provided separate video footage recorded Aug. 18 and Aug. 19 showing Phifer place a chainsaw into a truck parked near Vo’s car lot. Vo said he had been to the pawn shop and learned that Phifer had pawned two Stihl chainsaws over the course of two days. Vo also provided video footage from the pawn shop showing the transactions.
Phifer, of Arkadelphia, was served with an arrest warrant on Sept. 22. He is charged with Theft of Property valued between $1,000-$5,000.
Caddo Valley speeder caught with meth
Speeding isn’t allowed in Caddo Valley — especially if you’re traveling with drugs.
A Ouachita County woman learned this on the evening of Sept. 12 when she was pulled over on Valley Street after being clocked at 68 mph in a 55 mph zone. An officer with the Caddo Valley Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a 2006 Buick Lacerne piloted by 62-year-old Belinda Wactor, of Chidester.
During the stop the policeman got a whiff of marijuana. Suspicious about the smell, Wactor was asked if there was contraband inside the vehicle. A female passenger not identified in the affidavit handed over a marijuana grinder, and Wactor gave consent to search.
The officer ultimately discovered a black box containing .3 grams of methamphetamine, two cloth-wrapped pipes and a marijuana cigarette. Wactor was arrested at the scene. She is charged with Possession of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance, Methamphetamine.
A hat is no place to keep crack
Kenneth Wayne Thomas was out for a stroll on the afternoon of July 22.
On Arkadelphia’s 20th Street, the 67-year-old crossed paths with a pair of Group 6 Narcotics Unit agents who were “in the area” when they spotted Thomas, a parolee with an active search waiver on file. The authorities made contact with Thomas in front of Pine Court Apartments and informed him they’d be conducting a search of his person.
Thomas, however, didn’t attempt to conceal his crack: he promptly removed his hat and handed over a crack rock weighing less than 2 grams. He was then arrested and taken to jail.
Thomas is charged with Possession of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance, Cocaine.