NLR man charged in assault at clinic
A North Little Rock man is accused of choking and assaulting a pregnant woman at a clinic, according to authorities.
Officers responded to reports of an assault Tuesday at the UAMS Women's Health Clinic at Freeway Medical, 4301 W. Markham St.
Brandon Taplin, 24, was arrested shortly before 3 p.m. at the clinic on charges of second-degree domestic battery and endangering the welfare of a minor, according to a police report.
Multiple witnesses said they saw Taplin strike the woman repeatedly and choke her while her 11-month-old child was being held between them, police said.
The woman, a Little Rock resident, had red marks on her neck and head after the attack, the report noted.
Records show Taplin has been arrested at least 15 times in the past three years, primarily on charges of failure to appear.
Taplin's criminal background includes guilty pleas in June 2016 on a Class D felony charge of first-degree criminal mischief as well as a Class A misdemeanor charge of third-degree battery.
According to court documents, he also pleaded guilty in November to a Class A misdemeanor charge of possessing the instrument of a crime.
60-year-old reports Malibu's carjacking
A 60-year-old Little Rock man was carjacked at gunpoint Tuesday night, he told police.
It happened about 9:30 p.m. at 6310 Colonel Glenn Road, the listed address for Alexander Apartments, according to the report.
A maroon 2000 Chevrolet Malibu containing a large amount of tools was listed as stolen.
The man said he was not injured and no shots were fired. He told officers the robber fled east toward downtown on Asher Avenue.
The carjacker was described as black, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 165 pounds.
Till locked, robber gives up, runs off
An armed robber who tried to hold up a Little Rock sporting goods store Tuesday left after an employee told him the cash register was locked, authorities said.
According to a report from the city's Police Department, officers responded to Hibbett Sports at 6420 Colonel Glenn Road shortly after 6:45 p.m.
When they arrived, a 26-year-old employee told them that the assailant entered the business and approached her, pointing a handgun in her face.
The robber then reportedly gestured with the weapon toward the cash register. The worker said she put her hands up and told him the register was locked.
When he heard she couldn't open it, the gunman fled toward the Kroger in the shopping center's parking lot, the report states.
Metro on 01/11/2018