BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. — A prominent elected official in a small Arkansas city was allegedly beaten and robbed in his own home Thursday.
Blytheville City Councilman R.L. Jones says he was asleep around 2:30 a.m. when two men burst into his bedroom demanding money. He says their faces were partially covered with bandannas.
“That’s what they were screaming about, money, money, money! I know you got some. I know this. I know that,” Jones says.
The 60-year-old councilman says they pulled him off his bed onto the floor.
“And somebody hit me with something in the back of my head,” he said. “(He) was demanding me to look down, don’t look up at them. This kind of stuff… Asking me,’Do you know me?’ Just interrogating me with some crazy stuff.”
Jones says they grabbed all the money in his wallet and took off.
“When this happened to you, somebody break into your home and you don’t know who they are, then it just devastates you,” Jones says.
Blytheville Mayor James Sanders can’t believe this happened to his friend and colleague, someone who’s served on the city council for more than 20 years.
“It is different when it is an elected official. It brings it closer to your home,” Sanders says.
Blytheville police are trying to catch the brazen suspects as fast as they can. At this point, investigators don’t know if Councilman Jones was targeted. They also don’t know if what happened has anything to do with his position as an elected official.
Jones, who’s also a local pastor, says he’d like to see his alleged attackers make better decisions. For starters, turn themselves in.
“Being a pastor you want to see everybody come to Christ but they gotta want to do it themselves. They have to want to stop doing the things that is wrong and pick up the things that is right,” Jones says.
If you know anything about this case, police ask that you call Blytheville Crime Stoppers. That number is 844-910-STOP.