By Ray King
A $50,000 bond was set Monday for a Pine Bluff man who allegedly broke into a house on Sulphur Springs Road Saturday and assaulted an elderly female.
The suspect, Nathan Woodruff, 18, also kicked a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Sergeant who was trying to arrest him, then kicked a nurse at Jefferson Regional Hospital who was trying to assess his condition.
Pine Bluff District Judge John Kearney set the bond after ruling prosecutors have probable cause to charge Woodruff with three counts of second-degree battery and with residential burglary.
During the court hearing, Deputy Prosecutor Beth Carson said the incident occurred at a house in the 8800 block of Sulphur Springs Road after Woodruff reportedly kicked the door of the house open, went into the kitchen, then struck a 74-year-old woman In the face, knocking her to the floor and causing visible injuries.
Sheriff’s Investigator Sandra Harper reported that the woman’s son arrived at the house and found with Woodruff before pinning him to the floor and holding him until a deputy arrived. Woodruff resisted and the deputy used a tazer twice and being kicked by Woodruff before other deputies arrived and were able to subdue Woodruff.
Carson said Woodruff was taken to the hospital where he kicked a nurse in the right side of the face while the nurse was trying to assess Woodruff’s condition. He was then taken to the adult detention center.
When Woodruff was questioned, he said he had eaten five grams of mushrooms and blacked out. He said he did not remember anything.
Woodruff was ordered to have no contact with the victim until the case is settled.
