Kenneth Ward (Photo courtesy of Baxter County Sheriff’s Office)
A man charged with threatening his live-in girlfriend and her children with a machete pled guilty to the charges against him during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Monday (March 17).
Forty-five-year-old Kenneth Ray Ward, who lists an address in Gassville, was charged with three counts of false imprisonment, three counts of aggravated assault on a household member, two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, third-degree domestic battery, possession of methamphetamine, cocaine or fentanyl and items of paraphernalia used to ingest drugs.
He was sentenced to three years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
A written victim impact statement was submitted to the court, and Circuit Judge John Putman read the statement before accepting Ward’s plea. It was announced that the victim agreed with the plea.
Three Baxter County sheriff’s deputies and two Arkansas State Police Troopers responded to a residence along County Road 913 near the Baxter County Airport in late June last year after receiving a report from a female saying Ward was armed with a machete and holding her and her children in the house against their will.
When officers arrived, the woman and her children had gotten out of the house and were waiting in the driveway.
A number of commands were given for Ward to exit the house, but he did not respond. Entry to the house was eventually gained through the back door. Ward was found sitting on a couch and was taken into custody. Ward was reported as saying he had not heard the verbal commands because he had been asleep.
Deputies reported locating a glass pipe used to smoke methamphetamine, new and used needles and a grinding device that had a white residue suspected of being methamphetamine or cocaine.
The victim told officers the incident started when Ward became angry when she said she had to go to the store and get milk for a 10-month-old baby.
She said he hit her in the head with a cellphone and threw a baby crib at her.
The woman told investigators there had been issues with Ward ever since she moved in with him in October 2022.
An eight-year-old boy told officers that Ward had warned that if the woman and children tried to leave the house, he would slit their throats.
According to the victim, Ward had also threatened to kill her and her children if charges were ever filed against him.
Deputies reported being unable to locate the machete. The girlfriend said Ward, “liked to hide things everywhere in the house.” Lawmen reported the junky condition of the home also hindered the hunt for the machete.
In the probable cause affidavit, it is mentioned that the house “was unsanitary” and that each room was full of trash and debris.
According to the probable cause affidavit, both Ward and the girlfriend are felons with waivers on file permitting warrantless searches of person and property.
Court records from Baxter, Fulton and Izard counties show that Ward and the girlfriend have both had drug charges filed against them. The girlfriend also filed for orders of protection to keep Ward away from her and her children in 2020 and a month after the incident in 2024.
The woman outlined various violent episodes involving Ward, including breaking out one of her teeth and giving her young son a black eye.
The girlfriend alleged Ward was using drugs.
The new charges triggered the filing of a petition to revoke Ward’s probation in a Fulton County drug case.
Ward has been jailed since June 27 last year, with bond set at slightly more than $26,000.
According to court records, Ward has made few court appearances since being locked up. He was present for his arraignment in mid-July last year and reappeared for a status report in early November.
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