According to electronic court records, a 19-year-old man is charged with attempting to force his way into two vehicles occupied by females in Baxter County, and with two counts of sexual indecency with a minor in Prairie County.
Austin Grant Duck lists his address on some court documents as being along Halls Crossing Road in Devalls Bluff, although he apparently attended high school in Hazen.
He did not list an address in Mountain Home.
A well-known Little Rock defense attorney, George “Birc” Morledge, IV, will be representing Duck in both counties.
Morledge waived his clients appearance in Baxter County Circuit Court for Monday and entered a not guilty plea on Duck’s behalf.
Duck’s arrest in Baxter County stemmed from him attempting to get into two women’s cars in the early morning hours of September 9 at a gas station at the intersection of Highway 62/412 and Cranfield Road.
The woman involved in one incident reported seeing a male sleeping beside the vending machines. She said after she had finished fueling her car, she got in to leave.
The young male, later identified as Duck, was alleged to have tried to open the driver’s side door, but the victim was able to drive away.
A second female victim said she had been at the same station at around the same time the other incident took place. She said Duck opened her passenger door and began going through her purse.
The victim said she asked Duck what he was doing and she said he just looked at her and said, “dude, dude.”
She said Duck continued to go through her purse and wallet until she climbed through the vehicle to the passengers side and began pushing him out. She was able to close the door, but Duck “aggressively opened it trying to get back in.”
The woman told investigators that she pushed Duck back out and closed the door. She said she was able to get to the driver’s side just as Duck reopened the passenger side door.
She said she drove off, shutting the door as she left.
When video from surveillance cameras at the station were reviewed, Duck is seen approaching a third and unknown victim in a white truck with a black door and fender on the passenger side and pulling a boat.
Duck is reported to have tried to open the passenger side door of the truck, but it was locked. He is then seen talking to the driver through the passenger window.
The truck drives off. Duck is said to have walked to his backpack, lifted it in the air, made an obscene gesture to the departing driver in the truck and returning to the gas pumps.
The surveillance camera footage is also reported to show that Duck at one point removed fill hoses from the gas pumps. He is show throwing one to the ground.
Staff at the station were checking for any damage Duck might have done at the establishment.
After the two incidents were reported to 911, a Baxter County sheriff’s deputy responded to the scene.
In addition, a second deputy who was in the area saw Duck walking about 200 yards from the gas station.
The deputy spoke to Duck who said he had been in Missouri at a party when he got into a fight with his girlfriend and decided to walk to “his residence” in Mountain Home.
At the time of that contact the full picture of what had happened was not known and Duck was released after personal information was gathered.
He is reported to have turned himself in at the Baxter County Detention Center September 29 after “being told by someone a warrant for his arrest had been issued.”
Duck’s charges in Baxter County are mainly misdemeanors. However, he does face two felony breaking or entering charges.
It is still a mystery what Duck, who apparently lived or still lives in East Arkansas, was doing in this area or whether he had a residence in Mountain Home as he claimed.
From the information he provided, Duck appeared to be a transient, but was able to make a $15,000 bond and to have a Little Rock attorney represent him.
Almost no information on his more serious charges in Prairie County is available because the case file is sealed. Records do not show if a bond has been set or posted in the case. The violation date is shown as July 23, but the case was not filed until October 2.
Duck was set for an appearance in the Southern District of Prairie County Circuit Court Monday, but, as he did in Baxter County, his attorney entered a waiver of appearance and asked the court to enter a not guilty plea on behalf of his client.
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