A Gassville man whose charges include kidnapping and terroristic threatening stemming from a violent domestic altercation appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday.
A bond hearing was set for May 16th for 22-year-old Andrew Lee Upchurch. His bond is now set at $100,000.
Earlier this month, Upchurch entered a not guilty plea and was approved for the services of the Public Defender’s Office.
The incident involving the victim and Upchurch occurred Mar. 15.
Gassville police were called to an address along Bayless Court. On the first trip, the officer reported knocking repeatedly but no one came to the door and he could hear no movement inside the residence. He left the scene.
A short time later, another call came in reporting Upchurch was holding a female against her will in a bedroom of the residence.
When an officer arrived, he was let into the house by a relative of Upchurch and taken to a locked bedroom door at the end of a hallway.
His relative told Upchurch to unlock the door and come out, but he refused. However, when the officer repeated the request, Upchurch complied.
Upchurch was asked what was going on in the household and he is reported to have replied, “a lot of arguing and fighting.”
When Upchurch walked out of the bedroom, the officer was able to see the victim and observed visible injuries to her face.
The victim alleged that Upchurch had caused the injuries. At that point, a shoeless, shirtless Upchurch bolted from the house. A Be-On-The-Lookout was broadcast for him.
After being checked at Baxter Regional Medical Center, the victim met with police. She reported the abuse started about 2 a.m. when Upchurch accused her of being untruthful and cheating on him.
She said Upchurch was “constantly” hitting her in the face. The victim described the blows as “open handed, but more forceful than a slap.”
The victim said Upchurch kept telling her she “deserved what she got.”
At one point, Upchurch was reported to have knocked the victim to the floor and gotten on her chest with both knees. He was alleged to have choked the victim and covered her mouth with his hand.
The victim said if she got close to the door, Upchurch would attack her.
He is reported to have forced the victim to finish a text to her father advising that she was okay.
Upchurch is also reported to have threatened the victim with a hammer. The head of the tool came off as he was swinging it, according to the probable cause affidavit.
He is also alleged to have threatened to cut the victim with a broken piece of glass.
The victim said she heard the first officer knocking on the door, but kept quiet because Upchurch was holding her and telling her he would slit her throat if she screamed.
During the altercation, Upchurch is reported to have said he had friends he could give the victim to, and when they were finished raping her, they would sell her.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim had injuries to her face, neck, throat, back, side, arm and knee.
When he fled the home, Upchurch is said to have taken the victim’s car keys and cellphone.
The probable cause affidavit is silent on when and where Upchurch was arrested, but he was booked into the Baxter County jail about 6:30 p.m. on Mar. 18.
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