The man who was shot by a resident while allegedly trying to break into his west Little Rock home pleaded not guilty Thursday.
Isaac Dale III, 31, of Little Rock is being held at the Pulaski County jail on charges of criminal attempt and failure to appear, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported. Through defense attorney Lisa Walton, he pleaded not guilty Thursday morning in Little Rock District Court, presided over by special District Judge Lea Ellen Fowler.
Walton told Fowler that Dale is an Little Rock native now lives in Fayetteville but was visiting family Tuesday, when the alleged break-in occurred. Dale works in landscaping and is a father to four children, she said, and he is currently enrolled in college classes.
Walton then asked Fowler to set Dale’s bail at $5,000, and the judge agreed.
At the hearing, prosecuting attorney Lauren Eldridge summarized the allegations against Dale: A 32-year-old Little Rock man told authorities Dale used a crowbar and attempted to break into the man's home on Shawnee Forest Drive in west Little Rock on Tuesday afternoon.
It was then that the resident took out a revolver and opened fire, striking Dale multiple times, police said.
The homeowner told authorities Dale got into a black truck parked in the driveway and sped away, causing items to fall out of the back of the vehicle, the Democrat-Gazette reported. Minutes later, Dale showed up at CHI St. Vincent Infirmary seeking treatment for his gunshot wounds.
At the hearing, Eldridge said the resident told authorities he knew Dale and that he had stolen property from him before. After talking with investigators, the homeowner was released without charges, pending a review of the file, the paper reported.
A hearing was scheduled for March 13.