By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
The Cabot woman who shot her longtime boyfriend on the evening of June 2 was arrested Tuesday on multiple charges, including first-degree domestic battery, which could get her five to 20 years in prison.
The delay in arresting Halelle Hooten, 32, who admitted on the evening of June 2 to shooting Frederick Lamont Ford three times, was partly because he was in a coma for a time and unable to tell his side of the story, Lonoke County Prosecutor Chuck Graham said.
Ford, 40, of North Little Rock was shot in his right shoulder, right buttock and right kidney area. A complete recovery is unlikely, sources said.
Hooten told police she shot him in self-defense.
The affidavit for Hooten’s arrest says Ford was the father of three of Hooten’s four children. He came by from time to time to take a shower and spend the night, she said.
Hooten told police on June 2 that she had invited Ford to their daughter’s third birthday party. She expected him between 5 and 6 p.m., but he arrived between 9:30 and 10 p.m.
Ford beat on the door, but she wouldn’t let him in. He called her cell phone, and she didn’t answer.
After 15 or 20 minutes, Hooten opened the door to her apartment at 898 Myrtle St. to see if he was still outside. Ford pushed his way inside, she said. Hooten told police that Ford had unscrewed the porch light so she couldn’t see outside.
She said she was frightened of Ford because he threatened to kill her and her children. Hooten said she knew he had a gun hidden somewhere in her apartment. No gun was found except the .38-caliber Rossi revolver Hooten used to shoot Ford.
She told police they argued and he was swinging his arms about, knocking things over in the apartment. Ford started to charge her, Hooten said, but he stopped and started to reach for something in a drawer. She pulled out the gun she had put in her robe pocket and shot, but thought she missed and shot two more times until he fell to the floor. Then Hooten called her father in Ward. He came to her apartment and called the police.
She may also be charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, possession of illegal drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.
