A Lakeview woman with a lengthy felony record is behind bars after allegedly striking her mother with a baseball bat during an altercation in Baxter County.
According to the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call from the victim’s home, where she reported that her daughter, 34-year-old Vanessa Renee Henschel, was experiencing a psychiatric episode and needed to be removed. Upon arrival, deputies found the victim bleeding from her forehead and arm.
The probable cause affidavit states that the altercation escalated when the victim grabbed a baseball bat in an attempt to protect herself. Henschel allegedly pushed her mother to the ground, took the bat, and struck her with it, causing the injuries. Henschel was arrested and is being held at the Baxter County Detention Center. She faces a felony charge of second-degree domestic battery and a penalty enhancement as a habitual offender. Her bond has been set at $10,000.
Henschel is no stranger to law enforcement. Court records reveal that she has been convicted of eight prior felonies, including violent offenses. Several of the incidents occurred in Baxter County, while one took place during her incarceration with the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
One notable case occurred in 2016 in Mountain Home, where Henschel entered a hotel room, climbed on top of another woman, and repeatedly stabbed her while apologizing. The victim sustained injuries to her neck and upper torso but survived. Henschel was convicted of first-degree battery in that case and sentenced to three years in prison.
In 2020, Henschel broke into a home north of Mountain Home. Court documents state that when the homeowner returned to find her in the residence and driving his truck, she confronted him in the garage, punched him in the head, and then armed herself with a pair of limb clippers in a further attempt to attack. Henschel was also found wearing the man’s wife’s clothing and jewelry, lying in their son’s bed, and eating potato chips with a Dr. Pepper. She received a five-year prison sentence for multiple charges stemming from that incident.
Later that year, while in custody at the Baxter County Detention Center, Henschel was charged with second-degree battery and impairing the operation of a vital public facility after attacking a jailer. In 2021, during her incarceration at the Arkansas Department of Corrections’ McPherson Unit in Newport, she was charged with second-degree battery after striking a prison guard in the head. She received an additional three years in prison for that offense.
Her criminal history includes charges of residential burglary, breaking or entering, theft of property, obstructing governmental operations, and possession of a controlled substance.
An investigation into the most recent allegations is ongoing, and Henschel remains in custody as of Tuesday evening.