A Rogers man has been arrested in connection with a July attack in Newton County that left a man seriously injured. Authorities report that 43-year-old Abraham Campbell was taken into custody in Boone County last week following a months-long search. He now faces 13 charges, nine of them felonies, and is being held at the Newton County Jail on a bond of $157,810.
According to a probable cause affidavit from the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred at a low-water slab on Murray Road, near Parthenon. The victim told law enforcement that Campbell attacked him with a baseball bat, leaving him unconscious. The assailant then allegedly broke all of the windows in the victim's car and destroyed his cell phone.
The victim’s injuries were severe enough to require an airlift to Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville. Medical reports indicate he suffered multiple broken bones, including two skull fractures, a fractured cheekbone, and a fractured temple. Additional injuries included bleeding in the brain, kidney bruising, and multiple open wounds.
A woman who was present at the scene with her three children told authorities that all three minors witnessed the attack. She recounted how Campbell threatened to kill the victim and struck him in the head with a large rock. She further stated that after helping her children leave the area, she returned to find Campbell pinning the victim to the ground and beating him with a wooden club. She told investigators she finally tackled Campbell and placed him in a headlock to stop the assault.
The charges against Campbell include aggravated robbery, a Class Y felony, which is the most serious classification of non-capital offenses in Arkansas, carrying a potential sentence of 10 years to life. Other felony charges include attempted second-degree murder, first-degree battery, aggravated assault, first-degree terroristic threatening, and first-degree criminal mischief. He also faces misdemeanor charges of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, interference with emergency communication, and failure to appear in court. The case includes additional penalty enhancements for committing felonies in the presence of minors.
Newton County Sheriff Glenn Wheeler stated that Campbell fled the scene immediately after the attack, prompting the sheriff’s office to request assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. Marshals initially tracked Campbell to Oregon but later received information indicating he had returned to Arkansas. Campbell was located at a residence in Boone County and arrested without incident.
"Mr. Campbell is prone to commit violence or put people in danger, including his own children, then run away from the consequences,” Sheriff Wheeler said in a statement. “I truly appreciate the help of the U.S. Marshals in bringing him to justice.”