The state/region in brief

Funeral date set for UAFS student

FORT SMITH - A funeral is set for Wednesday for a Fort Smith college student who died a week after falling 100 feet from a bluff in Newton County.

Edwards Funeral Home said services for 19-year-old Austin Elder are scheduled at Grand Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Smith.

Authorities said Elder was camping with a friend in Newton County on Dec.

8 when he slipped from a bluff known as Hawksbill Crag. Elder’s family said he died Friday at a hospital in Springfield, Mo.

According to his obituary, Elder was a graduate of Southside High School, where he played football.

The obituary said Elder enjoyed camping, hiking, taking photos of sunsets and looking at stars.

Elder had just finished his first semester at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

  • THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMan charged with kidnapping, rape

JOPLIN - A southwest Missouri man has been charged with sexually assaulting and playing Russian roulette with a woman whom police said he held captive for two days.

Ricky Dale Casteel, 56, of Granby faces two counts of forcible rape and one count each of first-degree assault, second-degree domestic assault, felonious restraint and armed criminal action. He is jailed in Newton County.

Court records don’t indicate whether he has an attorney.

The Joplin Globe newspaper reported Casteel was arrested Friday night after the 65-year-old woman sought an order of protection.

Sheriff Ken Copeland said Casteel and the woman went out several times before arguing Nov. 18.

“She tried to make him get out of her car,” Copeland said. “He refused and pulled a knife on her, and made her take him to her house.”

Once at her house near Joplin, he is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting her, the sheriff said. Copeland said Casteel tied the woman to a bed at night and tethered her to him during the day.

The sheriff said Casteel also loaded a revolver with a single bullet and began playing Russian roulette with the woman.

The woman didn’t immediately call authorities when she was released, because Casteel “had threatened to return and kill her if she told anybody,” the sheriff said.

Copeland said the woman came forward after Casteel threatened her Thursday when she ran into him in public.

  • THE ASSOCIATED PRESSKitten in Conway found with rabies

CONWAY - Arkansas health officials said a kitten found near Hendrix College and a shopping center in Conway tested positive for rabies.

The Log Cabin Democrat newspaper reported that the 10-12-week-old kitten was found on the grounds of the Conway Human Development Center.

State-health officials said anyone who came into contact with a wild cat or kitten should contact their doctor for an evaluation.

Rabies is a virus that attacks the brain and spinal cord and is fatal. It is mostoften found in skunks, bats and foxes.

Health officials said there have now been 130 confirmed rabies cases in Arkansas this year, with 101 of the cases in skunks. Besides the kitten, the other cases involve 22 bats, two cows, three dogs, and one horse.

  • THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Tulsa man is found shot dead in street

TULSA - Police in Tulsa said a man was found shot to death in a city street.

Police told reporters that the body of 20-year-old Vincent Ajeh was found shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday in the road just east of downtown Tulsa. Police said the victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

Police said they have made no arrests and have not identified any suspects in the shooting.

  • THE ASSOCIATED PRESSTulsa man charged

in selling girl, 15

TULSA - Police in Tulsa said a man was charged with human-trafficking in connection with attempting to place a 15-year-old girl as a prostitute.

Authorities said Saturday that 23-year-old Tarran Arnell Brinson was charged with one count of human trafficking and one count of unlawful possession of a controlled drug,

The Tulsa World newspaper reported Brinson was booked Dec. 7 after the girl met with an undercover officer during a prostitution sting at a motel.

Brinson remained in the Tulsa County jail Saturday.

The jail’s website didn’t indicate whether a bond had been set.

  • THE ASSOCIATED PRESSFBI to investigate

pepper-spraying

MUSKOGEE, Okla.

  • Police in Muskogee said the FBI is investigating the use of a stun gun and pepper spray by two police officers on a woman who was handcuffed to a gurney at Muskogee Regional Medical Center.

The Muskogee Phoenix newspaper reported Sunday that police Cpl. Pedro Zardeneta said a report on the Nov. 6 incident has been sent to investigators.

The names of the officers have not been released.

Zardeneta said neither officer was placed on leave.

“From what I understand, it sounds like the officers were following policy. But there’s a review process that will determine that for sure,” Zardeneta said.

The woman was hospitalized at the request of family members who were concerned that she was depressed, had been drinking and had a gun, police said.

The woman’s attorney, Jeremy Beaver, said hospital records show the woman’s hands and feet were bound at 7:12 p.m. on Nov. 6. At 7:35 p.m., Beaver said, hospital records indicated she became combative and belligerent.

Beaver said the woman was then shot with a stun gun and pepper-sprayed by officers who said she was “hitting and pulling on nurses” while handcuffed.

  • THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 8 on 12/18/2012

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