Rogers man gets 30-year prison sentence in attack

BENTONVILLE -- A Rogers man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for attacking a man he suspected of molesting a young girl.

Jason Fridline, 37, pleaded guilty today to aggravated residential burglary, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by certain persons. He was charged as an habitual offender since he has been previously convicted of robbery and commercial burglary.

Fridline, who was arrested Feb. 19, 2017, admitted in court Monday to entering a home while wearing a mask and armed with a gun -- a Taurus PT99mm semi-automatic pistol. Fridline told the judge he believed a man living at the residence had sexually assaulted a girl he knows.

"That wasn't the case," Fridline said.

Fridline didn't explain in court why he believed the man had molested the girl. His attorney, Jay Saxton, told the judge drug use contributed to Fridline's actions.

Benton County sheriff's deputies went to a home on Lodge Lane in Garfield the night of Feb. 19 in response to a call reporting an armed intruder had entered a house, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The victim told deputies he was sleeping on the couch when he was awakened by a masked man pointing a gun at his head, according to the affidavit. The man told authorities he got off the couch and began struggling with intruder over the gun. During the struggle, the gun fired a bullet into the floor, according to court documents.

The man was able to gain possession of the gun and pointed it at the intruder and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire, according to the affidavit.

The man and his neighbor were able to subdue the intruder and used zip ties and a belt to secure his hands and feet until deputies arrived, according to court documents.

The victim told deputies he thought the masked intruder was going to kill him and did not recognize it was Fridline until the mask was removed. The man said he and Fridline had been neighbors a long time ago, the affidavit states.

Circuit Judge Robin Green sentenced him to 30 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction. He will have to abide by a suspended sentence agreement for 20 years after his release from prison.

NW News on 05/15/2018

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