A man accused of raping his former Sunday school teacher at gunpoint during a November break-in at her home in Texarkana, Ark., made a brief court appearance Tuesday morning.
The woman described a man wearing a tightly drawn hoodie, sunglasses and black gloves as the person who pushed her back into her Dudley Street house, a gun pointed at her head. The woman told investigators she was led to a bedroom where she was raped. The woman said her attacker continued to wear the sunglasses and hoodie, seemed to be attempting to disguise his voice, and told her not to look at him during the sexual assault.
The alleged victim said she was forced to ride in her car as Hayes drove to an ATM and ordered her to withdraw $500. At some point during the drive, the car struck a railing, damaging the windshield and hood. The woman told investigators she was released about 20 minutes later near the intersection of Fairview and College Streets in the College Hill area of Texarkana, Ark., as her assailant drove away in her car.
Two days later investigators identified Hayes as a suspect in the case based on tips from callers who recognized him from video surveillance images which were released to the media. The woman's car was found just after midnight Nov. 24 in the parking lot of the Links Apartments in Texarkana, Ark. Investigators noticed damage to the car consistent with it striking a railing as the woman described. The car appeared to have been wiped down and a box of Armor All wipes sat in the back seat.
In the glove compartment, police found an Airsoft pistol. A pair of sunglasses was recovered from the console. Investigators noted Hayes had once lived in a house not far from the woman's home.
After seeing photos of Hayes after his arrest, the woman contacted investigators and told them she had been Hayes' Sunday school teacher though Hayes had not attended services at her church for several years.
Hayes appeared Tuesday morning before Circuit Judge Brent Haltom without a lawyer.
Hayes told Haltom his mother is working to retain an attorney to defend him against the pending felony charges. Hayes's mother told the court she hopes to arrange representation for her son this week.
Haltom said he would rather Hayes be arraigned on the charges with a lawyer present to represent him. At the request of Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Black, Haltom reset the case for a hearing next week before Circuit Judge Carlton Jones, to whom the case was recently assigned.
At the time of his arrest, Hayes was serving a three-year term of probation for theft assessed him in September 2014. A motion to revoke Hayes' probation was filed Oct. 26. The petition to revoke alleges Hayes tested positively for amphetamines, failed to report to his probation officer, failed to pay court ordered fees and failed to report for an assessment to evaluate his need for substance abuse treatment. Hayes had not reported to his probation officer for several months and his whereabouts were unknown at the time of the alleged attack on his former Sunday school teacher, according to the petition.
The court docket in Hayes' 2014 theft case shows he was arrested on the probation warrant by the Miller County Sheriff's Department Nov. 27 in the 2300 block of East Street. The warrant for his arrest on the alleged rape was served by Texarkana, Ark., police on Hayes in jail Nov. 30. Bail on the alleged rape and related felonies is set at $500,000. Hayes will not be released even if he manages to post bond because he is being held without bail on the probation revocation. The court is not required to set bail on a pending motion to revoke probation.
For each of two counts of rape, Hayes faces 10 to 40 years or life if convicted. Aggravated residential burglary, aggravated robbery and kidnapping are punishable by 10 to 40 years or life as well. For theft involving the woman's stolen car, Hayes faces three to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. For theft involving the woman's debit card and ATM withdrawal, Hayes faces up to six years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
Hayes is scheduled to appear before Jones for arraignment next week on the rape and other felonies. He is scheduled to appear Feb. 2 before Haltom on the probation revocation.