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Suspect arrested in shooting of girl

A suspect in the shooting of a 10-year-old girl earlier this week was arrested Thursday night, police reported.

Ray McGuire, 18, was charged with two counts of first-degree battery and six counts of committing a terroristic act. He’s accused of firing multiple shots in the 2100 block of South Pine Street on Monday, striking a girl in the chest and left arm.

The girl’s injuries were not life-threatening, according to police. She was treated at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Witnesses reported seeing a sport utility vehicle speed away from the scene, according to a police report. Six people were present when McGuire purportedly opened fire, the report said.

Further circumstances of the shooting, as well as a motive, were unclear.

McGuire, of 1902 S. Harrison St., was held in the Pulaski County jail in lieu of $500,000 bond late Friday

LR woman charged in children’s abuse

A Little Rock woman was arrested and charged with battery Thursday after authorities found scarred and beaten children who tested positive for cocaine at her home earlier this month, according to a court affidavit.

Arkansas State Police and Little Rock police responded Aug. 8 to 9006 W. 46th St., the home of Michelle Butler. There were 12 children living in the home, four of whom were identified as Butler’s, according to the affidavit.

Investigators reported that the only food in the house was a loaf of bread.

Butler’s children — ages 2, 3, 6 and 7 — each had multiple scars and bruises from being hit with a belt or a flexible rod, the affidavit states. One of the children had marks indicating that she had been spanked with an extension cord.

Butler, 30, admitted to investigators that she spanks her children with a switch and a belt, the report states, but denied using an extension cord.

Butler’s children were examined Aug. 13 at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where they were found to have suffered physical abuse, nutritional and environmental neglect, and drug exposure. Three of them tested positive for cocaine.

Butler was charged with four counts of second-degree domestic battery. She was held in lieu of $10,000 bond at the Pulaski County jail late Friday.

Wanted in Texas, man released in LR

A man wanted on burglary charges in Texas was released by Little Rock police officers because the crowded Pulaski County jail could not hold him until his extradition.

Officers responded about 11 p.m. Wednesday to an armed robbery outside Dunkin’ Donuts at 6805 Cantrell Road. While searching the area, officers detained Anthony Epps, 19, according to a police incident report. Epps was ruled out as a suspect after officers reviewed surveillance footage of the robbery.

But officers found that Epps had an active arrest warrant in a burglary case in Texarkana. Pulaski County jail officials told the officers that Epps could be held only until 8 a.m. Friday, according to the report. Texarkana authorities told police that wasn’t enough time to travel to Little Rock for Epps’ extradition, so the officers released him.

Epps has never been charged with a crime as an adult in Arkansas, according to court records.

The state’s largest jail has been closed to most property and nonviolent offenders since Tuesday. It’s the third time this year that the jail has tried to ease crowding by turning away offenders for periods of time.

No injuries were reported in the robbery. Two Dunkin’ Donuts employees were robbed at gunpoint of their cash and key, the report states.

Police believe the two robbers attacked a woman at 225 Keightley Drive minutes beforehand. Jackie Walker, 50, told police that the men demanded her keys before one of them struck her with the butt of a shotgun, according to a police report. Walker was taken to UAMS Medical Center with what appeared to be a broken wrist, the report states.

Given a ride, 3 take off with ’14 Corolla

A 65-year-old woman was attacked Wednesday and her car was stolen by three women to whom she had given a ride, police reported.

Wanda Martin told police the three women approached her about 9 p.m. in the parking lot of the Kroger at 1100 E. Roosevelt Road. The three, all described as black and heavy-set, asked for a ride west to 25th Street, according to a police report.

When they arrived at their destination, a woman in the back seat struck Martin in the head and pushed her out of the vehicle, according to the report. The women took Martin’s 2014 silver-colored Toyota Corolla and drove west.

Police searched the area but did not find the vehicle.

2 hold customers, make clerk get cash

Two men held two women captive while they robbed a Dollar General store Wednesday in Little Rock, according to a police report.

Bianca Conerly, a Dollar General employee, told officers the men entered the store at 7501 Mabelvale Cutoff Road about 9 p.m. and demanded money. The robbers grabbed and held customers while Conerly collected the cash.

The men, who did not show any weapons, fled south from the store into some woods. They escaped with $290, the report states.

No injuries were reported.

One of the robbers is described as black, 5 feet 10 inches tall and 160 pounds. The other is described as black, 5 feet 2 inches tall and 160 pounds. Both were about 20 to 25 years old.

The store also was robbed June 17, according to police reports.

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