Jerrell Hightower
An Izard County man, currently facing theft charges from his time as the operator of the former Sears Hometown Store in Mountain Home, is now accused rear ending a teen’s vehicle and later choking him. Forty-one-year-old Jerrell Hightower of Franklin was booked into the Izard County Detention Center on Wednesday on two felony counts of aggravated assault.
According to the probable cause affidavit, an Izard County deputy was dispatched to the Violet Hill Store on Arkansas Highway 56 for a reported altercation. Just prior, an Izard County Elementary School resource officer had requested an additional unit near the store. When the deputy arrived, the resource officer told him a 16-year-old juvenile accused Hightower of choking and threatening him. The victim said he did not need to be treated for injuries.
An Izard County criminal investigator soon arrived, and the deputy reportedly told him Hightower purposely rear ended the teen’s vehicle on Highway 56 and later placed his hands around the juvenile’s neck.
Hightower claimed the teen passed him on the roadway in Franklin and “sideswiped” his vehicle while re-entering the westbound lane. Hightower said he became angry and attempted to convince the juvenile to pull over by striking the rear of his truck. The juvenile reportedly pulled over at the post office in Violet Hill. Hightower claimed he gripped the teen’s shirt but denied putting his hands on the juvenile’s neck. The Franklin man was reportedly unable to show any damage to his vehicle from being “sideswiped.”
The victim stated he passed Hightower at Franklin but stated there was no collision. The teen said as he was approaching Izard County Elementary School, Hightower allegedly made hand gestures and struck the rear of his truck. The juvenile says he pulled over to report a collision to authorities, but Hightower allegedly grabbed him with both hands around his throat and began shaking him. Hightower reportedly released the teen after he said his age was 16.
Hightower is currently free on a bond of $5,000. He is not allowed to have contact with the victim or his family. Hightower is scheduled to appear in Izard County Circuit Court on May 17.
Hightower is also facing a felony theft of property charge and a misdemeanor of falsifying business records in Baxter County. According to the probable cause affidavit from the Mountain Home Police Department, the Sears Hometown Store conducted an inventory check in early March of 2021 and discovered a Craftsman lawnmower valued at $2,899 was missing. In early July, a customer contacted the business for service on a mower, which the business identified as the missing mower.
The customer provided a handwritten receipt and a credit card receipt allegedly showing Hightower sold the customer the mower for $2,000 through a service account that would bypass the business.
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