TEXARKANA, Texas - The recent arrests of a man and woman for sexual assault shed some light on the large, daytime police presence at a Texarkana residence earlier this month that left neighbors to wonder.
Before a sizable group of local law enforcement convened at a house in the 700 block of West 26th Street in Texarkana, Texas, on May 4, concern for a 22-year-old woman's welfare was rising, according to probable cause affidavits filed in the cases of William Ashcraft and Mildred Malapelli. The day before, the young woman met with members of the Texarkana, Arkansas, Police Department at Texarkana's downtown federal building.
"(The alleged victim) told officers that she is kept and abused against her will. She also said that her 'supposed father' is a pervert," the affidavit states.
At that time, the Arkansas police officers learned that the woman had also communicated "distress" with a Texarkana, Texas, police officer via SnapChat. Officers dropped the woman off at a convenience store in the 2100 block of Texas Boulevard at her request.
Officers from both the Texarkana, Arkansas, and Texarkana, Texas, police departments conducted an area search for the woman as a "welfare concern" the day after she was dropped off at the convenience store. Using videos in which she communicated distress to the Texas officer via SnapChat, officers zeroed in on the West 26th Street house.
William Ashcraft, 66, answered the door and was allegedly suspicious of the officers. Eventually the young woman known to officers came out.
"She was upset and she was concerned about her mother, brother and pet animals," the affidavit states. "She continuously looked in the direction of Ashcraft and at one point said that he was the threat and he caused her mother to lose everything."
The woman, now 22, allegedly disclosed that Ashcraft sexually abused her from age 11 until 2017 "because she started locking her door."
The woman reported that she and her family have lived in the Texarkana house for five years. That means she was allegedly sexually abused by Ashcraft while a teen living in Bowie County. Officers arrested Ashcraft for sexual assault.
Investigators interviewed and later arrested the woman's mother, Mildred Ann Malapelli, 65, as well.
Malapelli allegedly told a Texarkana, Texas, detective that the family moved to Texarkana from Kentucky in the summer of 2016 to "avoid CPS (Child Protective Services) taking her children."
The young woman told officers that she has "never" been to school or a doctor and that Ashcraft kept her from leaving the house.
Malapelli allegedly admitted that her daughter told her Ashcraft was sexually abusing her but took no action.
Malapelli is charged with sexual assault, as well. Investigators noted that Malapelli knew of the alleged abuse and kept her daughter "cut off from society."
Ashcraft is being held in the Bowie County jail with bail set at $100,000 on a charge of sexual assault. Malapelli is being held on charges of sexual assault, failure to identify and resisting arrest. Her bails are set at $100,000, $10,000 and $25,000, respectively.