HOT SPRINGS -- A Hot Springs man on parole was arrested on multiple charges Saturday after his girlfriend told police he held her captive for two days and repeatedly assaulted her before she was able to escape, an affidavit said.
Kenneth Ray Novak Jr., 36, was taken into custody shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday and charged with felony counts of first-degree false imprisonment, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and aggravated assault on a family or household member, punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of third-degree domestic battery, punishable by up to one year in jail.
Novak, who also had a warrant for contempt of court, was being held without bail on a parole hold.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Hot Springs police responded to the 600 block of Woodall Circle regarding a woman running away from a man who had held her against her will at a residence in the 500 block of Woodall.
Officers arrived and spoke to the woman and the male resident of a house in the 600 block of Woodall where the woman had fled to, "knocking on his door shoeless and asking for help," he said.
Officers noted the woman was wearing a thin hoodie-style shirt, pajama pants and socks. Officer Thomas Plummer also noted both of her eyes were "nearly swollen shut" and dark purple, her lips had dried blood on them and her upper lip was split. She also had redness and scratches to her face, neck and stomach and her hands were "blackened with dirt and grime" on her nails and fingers.
She said she and her boyfriend of one week, identified as Novak, had been staying at a residence in the 500 block of Woodall since Thursday evening. She said Novak held her prisoner, punching her in the face and strangling her each time she tried to leave.
She said she was finally able to escape by locking Novak in the downstairs area and then escaping through the woods behind the house, running to the man's residence in the 600 block where he called 911. She said the scratches on her stomach were from the thorns she ran through in the woods.
The victim said the most recent attack had occurred that morning when he strangled her until she passed out. She said she came to about 1 p.m. with Novak shaking her and telling her to wake up. She said he told her he needed to get away from her before he killed her and himself.
Officers located Novak near the 600 block of Woodall and took him into custody. After being read his rights, he was questioned and reportedly stated he and the victim had been in a relationship for months and confirmed they had been staying at the Woodall residence since Thursday.
The affidavit said he told officers of getting into several arguments with the victim, but when asked if the arguments turned physical Novak declined to talk about them because he would "incriminate myself."
Officers noted there was damage to the downstairs area of the house where Novak and the victim were staying that was "consistent to being forced or kicked open." The affidavit notes the owners of the residence had not been located at the time of the report.
Metro on 11/19/2019