By Ray King
A $5,000 bond was set Wednesday for a Pine Bluff man previously convicted of misdemeanor domestic battery after he was arrested Monday on a similar allegation.
Pine Bluff District Judge John Kearney set the bond after ruling prosecutors have probable cause to charge Cecil Watson, 40, with second offense third-degree domestic battery, a felony.
Watson was arrested after police responded to a reported domestic disturbance at a mobile home in the 3900 block of U.S. 65 south at 7:26 a.m.
Detective Sgt. Michael Roberts said in a probable cause affidavit that when officers arrived, they found Watson on the porch with a power drill in his hand. He reportedly said he and the female had argued but denied hitting her.
Deputy Prosecutor Karres Manning said the female told police she was asleep when Watson came into the bedroom and told her to get up and help him find a screw. She said when she didn’t Watson pulled the covers off her and grabbed her by the arm. He also allegedly told her he would kill her.
A man who was also at the mobile home told police the female had called him asking for help and said he had heard Watson tell the woman he would kill her while he and the woman were on the phone.
Manning said court records showed that Watson pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic battery on Feb. 14, 2019. The Public Defender’s Office was appointed to represent Watson who was ordered to have no contact with the woman until the case is settled.
