Arkansas man remains in Ozark County jail after allegedly assaulting Theodosia girlfriend

Ryan Hampton of Summit, Arkansas, is in the Ozark County Jail after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend at her home in Theodosia.

According to the probable cause statement filed by Lt. Matt Rhoades of the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department, Hampton’s girlfriend said the defendant started arguing with her about going to town. She said he tried to take her truck keys from her hand to prevent her from leaving, and he began punching her. She said he then knocked her to the ground and took her cell phone from her hand to prevent her from calling the police.

The woman said he grabbed her right arm and started punching it while she was on the ground, stating that he was going to break her arm. She said he transitioned to elbowing the same arm and then started kicking it which caused significant bruising and swelling.

Rhoades said the victim told him that during the fight Hampton also choked her and punched her several times, causing a fracture nose and other injuries.

According the probable cause statement, Hampton threw a large rock at the victim which struck her on the elbow causing a visible injury. He also allegedly threw a cinder block at her truck windshield while the victim sat in the truck.

The victim reported that Hampton broke her $300 tablet to prevent her from calling the police, broke her truck door, stole two phones and broke her house door. 

According the probable cause statement, this is the third domestic disturbance in 2023 between the victim and Hampton.

Hampton is charged with domestic assault in the first degree and robbery in the first degree for allegedly forcibly stealing the victims two cell phones, causing serious physical injury to the victim. He is also charged with tampering in the second degree for removing a computer tablet from the victim’s vehicle to damage it, by forcibly removing a cell phone from the victim’s hand, by removing a second cell phone from the victim’s vehicle, by throwing a cinder block at the victim’s vehicle and by kicking the door of the victim’s vehicle so that it would not operate properly. Both charges are class A felonies. Class A felonies are punishable by 10 to 30 years or life imprisonment in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Hampton is also charged with the class E felony of harassment in the first degree by purposely frightening, intimidating or causing emotional distress to the victim by threatening to break her arm, destroying her tablet, taking her cell phone, throwing a large rock and cinder block at the victim and damaging the victim’s vehicle and residence. Class E felonies are punishable by up to four years in prison or by a fine up to $10,000.

He is charged with armed criminal action for allegedly assaulting the victim with the aid of a dangerous instrument. Armed criminal action is punishable by 3-15 years in the Department of Corrections.

Hampton is charged with a class B misdemeanor of property damage in the second degree for causing damage to the victim’s computer tablet, cracking the windshield of the victim’s truck and repeatedly kicking the door of the victim’s truck. Class B misdemeanors are punishable by up to 6 months in the county jail or a fine up to $1,000.