A woman who attacked a healthcare worker at Baxter Health last year has been found not fit to proceed after a psychological examination according to an announcement made during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court August 25.
Thirty-two-year-old Felicia Vaughan is charged with 2nd degree battery. She had earlier entered a not guilty plea to the charge.
Vaughan is reported to be enrolled in a treatment program at Valley Behavioral in Barling which is located in the Fort Smith area.
On July 7, 2024, Mountain Home police responded to Baxter Health to investigate a report of a nurse being attacked by a patient.
Vaughan was reported to have become angry when told by the nurse that her lack of insurance would make it difficult to transfer from one facility to another as she wanted to do.
The nurse said she began assessing Vaughan and that a physician was participating via a “Zoom call.”
Vaughan is reported to have gotten angry, stood up and threatened the nurse. She did sit back down but quickly stood back up and lunged at the healthcare worker, grabbed her by the hair with both hands and began ripping the hair out.
The nurse said she was attempting to push Vaughan back while screaming for help. At one point, both women fell to the floor.
Vaughan got up at one point and sat back down in the chair.
The investigating officer reported the nurse had put the hair that had been ripped out in a plastic bag which was photographed. The officer reported that the nurse had bald spots on her head and scratch marks were observed near one of the spots.
Vaughan claimed she had blacked out and remembered nothing about the alleged attack. Vaughan is reported to have a history of struggling with drug use and threatening suicide.
She was arrested and booked into the Baxter County Detention Center.
A failure-to-appear warrant was issued on January 6 when Vaughan did not show up for court. She was a fugitive for more than a month before being arrested on the FTA warrant.
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