A Mountain Home man charged with two violent attacks against his wife was sentenced to six years in prison with one suspended and five to serve during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday.
Twenty-eight-year-old Dusty Allan Rhoades pled guilty to third-degree domestic battery and terroristic threatening. The state dismissed a charge of aggravated assault.
Rhoades was also ordered to pay almost $3,600 in restitution to cover the victim’s medical bills.
On May 1st last year, Rhoades’ wife notified the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office her husband had struck her on the left thigh with a wooden stick, described as being part of a baby bed. Investigators reported the victim had a large bruise where Rhoades was alleged to have hit her, and there were two distinct “strike marks” appearing to have been made by a long, hard object.
The victim said Rhoades also forced her into a bedroom, removed her shoes and struck her with them.
She said during the attack, Rhoades had also threatened her with a knife, poking her in the stomach and holding the weapon to her forehead and throat.
On May 7th, the victim called the sheriff’s office again reporting another attack by her husband. According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim said the assault was the result of Rhoades going through her cellphone and finding texts to other males. Rhoades accused her of “sleeping around,” flew into a rage and forced her into the bathroom. She said once in the bathroom, her husband had choked her and threw her against a wall, demanding she stop lying to him.
In a text message exchange between Rhoades and the victim after the incident, which she provided to investigators, she asked him “if you love me and missed me, why choke me so hard?” Rhoades is reported to have answered “because you continue to lie so I don’t know the truth, and you know that drives me insane. I didn’t want to hurt you, but you lied.”
Since the charges alleging the attack on his wife were filed, another woman petitioned for an order of protection against Rhoades. In her affidavit filed Jan. 22nd, the woman alleges Rhoades menaced her with a knife on several occasions, hit her in the head and threatened her with death if she notified police.
The petition filed by the second woman was eventually dismissed for lack of prosecution.
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