A Norfork man charged with becoming involved in a confrontation with the residents of a home in Salesville and then shooting at the house appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday.
Thirty-seven-year-old James Addison Rorex, III, pled not guilty to three counts of aggravated assault, unlawful discharge of a weapon from a vehicle and committing a terroristic act.
On February 28, he was reported to have come to the residence located along Mercedes Loop and, after being asked to leave, becoming agitated, verbally abusive and violent.
The incident ended as Rorex drove away and fired several shots at the house from his vehicle.
One of the female victims said Rorex had no connection with the family except that he used to “hang out” with her adult son. The woman said Rorex had been told several times not to come back to the family’s home. The family said the adult son now drives a truck and is away from home for days at a time and no longer maintains a relationship with Rorex. Despite the lapse in the friendship, the family reported Rorex continued to come to the house “causing issues” and that he has walked into their home uninvited.
During the recent incident, after being told to leave and that police would be called if he refused, Rorex was reported to have started yelling at the three people who were at the house — a 65-year-old woman, the woman’s niece and the niece’s one-year-old son. The trio had been sitting on the porch but retreated inside when Rorex began cursing them and calling them “vulgar names.”
The two women began watching Rorex through the window of the master bedroom that has a view of the entire driveway leading to the house. The niece’s child was also with them.
As Rorex got to the end of the driveway, the victims said they heard what one of them described as “pop” sounds. Both said they were unsure of the number of shots they heard, but both agreed it was more than one.
The victim moved away from the window and sought cover. Rorex fled before Baxter County sheriff’s deputies arrived. When deputies checked the scene, they reported finding two holes in the outside of the house that were close to the window the victims had been looking through as Rorex departed. Inside the master bedroom, one of the bullets penetrated the wall and was located on the bed.
Deputies next went to Rorex’s listed address. They did not find him but did locate a .40 caliber handgun lying on a walkway. The front door to the house was open and keys were left in the lock. The car he was reported to have been driving, a Nissan Armada, was found about 100 yards from the house. Deputies reported the engine was still hot.
Rorex was eventually arrested March 3 and is being held in the Baxter County jail.
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