Paragould, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – A Paragould man is being held on a $150,000 cash/surety bond after police said he assaulted his pregnant wife and threatened to kill her while driving her away from their home against her will.

Johnny Culp, 30, was arrested and booked into the Greene County Detention Center on June 27, according to the roster.

The probable cause affidavit stated that on June 27, Paragould police officers responded to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office to speak with a person who said her husband, Culp, assaulted her.

The victim told officers that she woke up to find Culp scrolling through her phone and that Culp appeared irritated. That’s when Culp began striking her in the face and choking her. He then dragged the victim by her arm and wrist to his vehicle before throwing her inside. The victim stated that her juvenile son was left inside the home alone.

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Culp then drove away erratically with the victim in the vehicle. She said that while driving, Culp began to say that he was going to kill her, that nobody would find her, and threatened to kill them both by crashing the vehicle.

Once the vehicle made it north of Oak Grove, Culp threw the victim’s phone out of the vehicle, then he turned around to get it. When they stopped, the victim was able to run from the vehicle, flag down a passing vehicle, and get inside. The driver of said vehicle then dropped her off at the Green County Sheriff’s Office, where she met with a deputy.

Officers noted injuries to the victim’s wrist, arm, chest, and neck consistent with the information she provided. Emergency services arrived at the scene to evaluate the victim, and while speaking with them, she said she was pregnant. The victim was taken back to her home to find her son. There, Culp was arrested. The son also told officers that Culp pushed the victim down and slapped her.

During a Mirandized interview. Culp admitted to laying his hands on her after going through her phone due to the information he found, saying things out of anger so that she would be scared, and throwing her phone out of the vehicle. While he also said he knew the victim was pregnant, he did not know if he could believe her.

A judge ordered Culp to have no contact with the victim and to wear a GPS ankle monitor upon release. He must also not possess any weapons.

Culp faces multiple charges as a result of the incident:

  • First-degree terroristic threatening (Class D felony)
  • Third-degree domestic battering (Class D felony)
  • First-degree interference with emergency communication (Class A misdemeanor)
  • Second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor (Class A misdemeanor)

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