x
Breaking News
More () »

Sheriff: Deputies Not To Blame After Inmate Raped, Tortured

The Washington County sheriff says he believes his deputies did nothing wrong, following reports that an inmate in his jail was raped and tortured over a 16-hou...

The Washington County sheriff says he believes his deputies did nothing wrong, following reports that an inmate in his jail was raped and tortured over a 16-hour period last week.

Sheriff Tim Helder told 5NEWS he believes all deputies followed proper policies in connection to the incident, but said an internal investigation is underway. No jail employees have been disciplined, and no policies will be changed, he said.

“I don’t think we can create a perfect environment, but we have a pretty good one here. We have great employees that are adhering to our policies,” Helder told 5NEWS. “This is an aberration. It does not happen. It’s a very rare occurrence. It’s our job to make sure it remains a very rare, if not a nonexistent, occurrence.”

A probable cause report states a jailed man, who has not yet been identified by authorities, was raped by two inmates while also being tortured and forced to perform various acts.

One of the suspects was accused earlier this year of holding a machete to the throat of a taxi driver, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

Javaughntaiye Willis, 21, and Jdonta Britt, 19, face charges of rape, terroristic threatening, second-degree battery and acting in concert to commit two or more felonies, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The rape happened while four detainees shared a cell, Helder said.

“Sheriff’s Office detention personnel took swift action to protect the victim as soon as they became aware of the situation, and detectives are actively investigating the crime,” according to a Sheriff’s Office statement released Monday.

A probable cause report states Willis was housed in cell M-23 at the detention center with Britt, the alleged victim and a separate eyewitness. From 9 p.m. on Dec. 12 to about 1 p.m. on Dec. 13, the alleged victim was beaten, threatened, raped, forced to perform a sex act and made to drink the suspects’ urine, according to a probable cause report from Det. Scott McAfee.

A detention officer first spotted something wrong during the detainees’ allotted hour of free time, Helder said.

“"Our detention officer noticed our victim had a Band-Aid  over one of his eyes like a little laceration,” Helder said. “What happened? The victim was not forthcoming to anything."

The sheriff said the victim then went back to his cell. Shortly afterward, a neighboring detainee told a detention officer that something was wrong, Helder said.

"Our detention officer at that point got the guy back out and questioned him again. He still was not forthcoming about anything that happened,” he said. “The officer persuaded to the point that our victim did finally tell him he had been sexually assaulted as well as battered."

Helder said the victim also suffered minor injuries from a cutting tool, which he believes may have been either a disposable razor or a pin used for tattooing.

"When we did the shakedown  of the cell, looking for evidence and different things, we found those two things in there. I'm not privy to how they came to be in possession of them," Helder said.

“The suspects tortured the the victim by slapping, punching, kicking, elbowing, kneeing and using edged weapons to cut him,” McAfee’s report states. “The suspects threatened to cut off his pinky finger if the victim did not obey their commands or if he reported the abuse to authorities.”

The suspects also forced the victim to brush his teeth with a toothbrush that had been soiled, the report states.

Detectives said they found evidence to support the victim’s allegations and plan to recommend new charges to filed against Willis and Britt in connection with the reported rape. Investigators collected an eyewitness statement, a razor, blood and photographs of the victim’s injuries, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Willis is being held at the detention center awaiting trial in an aggravated robbery case involving a local taxi driver, according to court records. He and co-defendant Alberto Delatorre have a trial set for Jan. 22 in Washington County Circuit Court, according to court records.

Britt is in jail also awaiting trial, in a robbery case involving the beating of a man at Brookhaven Apartments in Springdale. His trial is set for Feb. 13 in Washington County, court records show.

Willis pleaded not guilty in August to aggravated robbery, theft of property and terroristic threatening, among other charges. Willis is accused of holding a machete to the throat of a cab driver for NWA Taxi at approximately 2:45 a.m. July 19 at Betty Jo Drive in Fayetteville, police said.

The driver said three men came up to his taxi, one wielding a machete and demanded money.  The three allegedly took the driver’s money, wallet, and cell phone, according to the taxi company.

Delatorre, 18, and a 17-year-old boy were also arrested in connection with the incident. Delatorre was released from jail on $3,500 bond the next day, according to jail records.

The theft victim called Fayetteville Police after the robbery.

Shortly before 6:40 a.m. Fayetteville Police made contact with occupants at a home on Betty Jo Drive who had a possible link to the robbery.

At approximately 7:11 a.m. six additional police units arrived on scene.  Police were seen patting down one man who was inside the home, two others were seen sitting in the yard of the home.

Shortly after that, police told a man he had five seconds to come out or they are going in.  Officers went inside the home minutes after but did not bring anyone out.

Just before 8 a.m. police handcuffed a black man at the scene wearing a white tank top and took him away in a police cruiser.

At approximately 8:15 a.m. a white man wearing a grey shirt and black shorts was also arrested.  A woman at the home was seen screaming as the man was taken away.  Investigators continued to question the residents at the home after the second arrest.

The items allegedly stolen from the taxi driver were returned, according to police.

Britt was arrested earlier this year with another man and a teenager implicated in an aggravated robbery case. Springdale police received a call around 11:50 p.m. in reference to a three black males assaulting a Hispanic male. The caller told police the suspects left in a maroon Chevy Impala.

Officers quickly located the car, but the suspects ran off. Britt and another suspect were caught, while the teen got away, police said.

The victim, 34-year-old Jose Jesus Alvarez-Meja, of Springdale, was found face down at the apartment. Witnesses told police one of the suspects hit Alvarez-Meja, then the other two joined the fight, jumping up and down on the victim who had fallen down.

Alvarez-Meja was taken to Northwest Medical Center in Springdale in serious condition and later taken by medical helicopter to a Springfield, Mo., hospital.

Police found Alvarez-Meja’s bloody backpack inside the Impala. One of the suspects also had the victim’s wallet, according to a police report. Investigators do not believe the suspects knew Alvarez-Meja. He had just arrived home when they allegedly beat and robbed him.

Before You Leave, Check This Out