Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Chace ends in arrest

PRESCOTT  A three-week-old baby girl is OK following a fight between her parents at Travel America Truck Stop in Prescott Thursday night that led to a high-speed chase which ended in Hempstead County.

According to Prescott Police Chief Brian Russell, Jessie Brown, 28, is in custody at the Nevada County Jail this morning and is charged with aggravated assault, domestic abuse in the second degree on a family member, felony fleeing, criminal mischief and resisting arrest.

The woman, who will remain unidentified, is in good condition, although she did received injuries to her head and waist, Russell said. A flashlight was used as a weapon, reports show.

The couple's baby girl is in good condition, as well.

Russell said around 9 p.m., officer Robert Henninger responded to a call from Travel America Truck Stop concerning a man and a woman fighting with a three-week-old baby girl in their presence.

Before officers arrived, numerous truckers witnessed the fight between the couple, and according to Russell, intervened by holding Brown until police units arrived.

When officer Henninger arrived to talk to the suspect, Brown ran to his vehicle, which is a red Chevrolet S-10, and began to flee the area, Russell said.

Russell said Brown began traveling west bound on Interstate 30, and scanner traffic indicated speeds reached up to 95 mph.

Officer Henninger was in pursuit and we also alerted Arkansas State Police and the Hope Police Department, Russell said. We certainly thank those folks for helping us.

Russell said once Brown entered the Hope city limits, he took exit 31 and headed north on state highway 29 towards Blevins.

He then entered state highway 332 off of state highway 29 north.

One of the Prescott officers, John Pettit, passed Brown while the pursuit was under way and along with Prescott officer David Thomason, attempted to box in  Brown and his vehicle in order to make it come to a stop.

Brown tried to go around our officers through the ditch. It was there where he lost control and ran into a fence post, Russell said.

Brown allegedly attempted to resist officers as they were attempting to detain him after the car smashed the fence post, but to no avail.

No drugs or weapons were found on Brown, Russell said. He also did not have Brown's criminal history at hand and did not know if the suspect had any prior arrests.

He did beat up his wife, Russell said.