(KATV) A difficult story to tell
you about out of Searcy. A mother was injured while trying to protect her
daughter from a sexual attack. Tuesday, the mother and 12-year old girl ran to
a neighbor's apartment at about 5:30 p.m. to call police after both were attacked by an armed man.
At about 4:40 p.m.
Wednesday, the suspect, Aaron Ray Rash was arrested without incident for felony
rape and battery. Warning, this story is stomach-turning.
Neighbor, Jacqueline
Arnold says, "Searcy is a quite place, no gangs, stuff like that. It's a good
place to retire. It's a good place to raise your children."
Arnold moved to Searcy 18
years ago to raise her kids and has lived here at the Ridge apartment since it
opened nearly 10 years ago because it makes her feel safe. She points, "We have
police on this end that live here and we have police on that end."
When Arnold heard about
police dispatched to the complex, she had no idea it was for a woman who was
stabbed while trying to protect her daughter from a rapist. "I just thank God
that both are alive."
Brittany Eacret with the Searcy
Police Department says it was a heartrending scene. "We found a woman seating
on the ground bleeding profusely. She had multiple stab wounds to her hands,
chest and her daughter was close by."
The mother is expected to
live. She told investigators she knew the man and let him in the apartment. At
some point he attacked her daughter and she tried to intervene and he stabbed
her. Just when she thought he might leave, he turned to her terrified 12 year
old girl.
Police say the suspect raped
the girl within eye sight of the mother bleeding on the floor, helpless.
Arnold says she has added
the mother and daughter to her prayer list at church. "It's a sad time for Christmas
when we should be happy."
The mother told police she
had a mutual friend in common with Rash and did not met Rash until the day of
the attack.
Aaron Ray Rash is a level 3
sex offender, among the most severe.
Aaron Ray Rash
