A man arrested after going on an alleged drunken rampage during which he threatened to kill a woman, shot at a house multiple times, broke into the residence and smashed his truck into a neighbor’s vehicle appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court/Criminal Division last Monday.
During an earlier session of court, 45-year-old Virgil Thomas Horton, III pled not guilty to charges of residential burglary, committing a terroristic act, first degree criminal mischief, third degree domestic battery and public intoxication.
Those charges were either dismissed or reduced by the state and Horton pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of public intoxication and criminal mischief on Monday and was put on 12 month-probation.
According to the Baxter County Sheriff’s office, on November 14 last year, three 911 calls were received reporting shots being fired. A woman was heard screaming for help at an address along Wildcat Shoals Road.
In one of the calls, a witness said a man had told the woman if she tried to leave, he would kill her.
Sheriff’s deputies and an officer from the Gassville Police Department arrived at a residence shortly before 8:30 p.m.
They reported seeing Horton standing at the driver’s side door of a white single cab truck. Officers later found a silver pistol and a rifle in the vehicle.
Because officers knew from information gathered from the 911 calls that the male standing beside the truck was likely the shooter, they took Horton down to protect him and the officers.
While the take down was underway, a woman came from behind the residence with her hands in the air.
According to the probable cause affidavit, officers detected the “very strong” smell of intoxicants coming from Horton’s breath.
Both Horton and the Woman said they had gotten into an altercation, but neither would provide many details.
One witness said he was inside his home when he heard a series of shots. He said when he went outside to see what was happening, Horton threatened him.
The witness said he went back inside and locked the door. Shortly after, he said he heard a “loud bang like a vehicle accident had happened.”
He discovered that Horton had apparently smashed his truck into another vehicle.
The woman, was reported to have argued with Horton at some point, said she heard gunshots while cleaning the house, looked out and saw Horton. She said she locked the door, but Horton kicked it in.
She said she was yelling at Horton to leave and he began to get physical with her. The woman told officer she hit Horton in the face, ran away from him and into a back bedroom where she jumped out a window.
Police reported that the residence was in disarray with items of personal property and broken glass scattered over the floor. They also reported the front door had been damaged. The door was found wide open but the deadbolt was still in the locked position.
Horton was represented by Mountain Home attorney Ben Burnett.
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