Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – A Jonesboro man is being held on a $2.5 million cash/surety bond after police said he physically assaulted, raped, and threatened to kill his girlfriend.

According to the probable cause affidavit, officers responded to a disturbance in the 2700 block of Wakefield Drive at 5:41 p.m. on April 10. The victim reported that her boyfriend, 33-year-old Joseph Reseae Brown, physically assaulted her after she attempted to wake him up for work nearly two hours earlier.

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The victim told police that an irate Brown grabbed her, threw her onto a couch, and struck the left side of her face with a closed fist. When she tried to call for help, Brown reportedly took her phone and refused to return it. A witness later told police they heard Brown yelling during the attempted call.

Brown then allegedly pushed the victim to the ground, striking her again on the forehead. Officers noted injuries consistent with her account. According to the affidavit, Brown forcibly grabbed the victim’s shirt, tearing it, pushed her into a bedroom, and raped her. The victim stated she repeatedly told Brown to stop and that he threatened to kill her when he was released from jail.

While police were at the scene, Brown attempted to call the victim multiple times from a masked phone number. Officers then spotted him leaving a nearby home. After a brief foot chase, Brown was taken into custody. During the arrest, officers found a bag containing 6.1 grams of marijuana in his pocket.

On April 15, District Judge David Boling found probable cause to charge Brown with the following:

  • Rape (Class Y felony)
  • Third-degree domestic battery/multiple offenses within five years (Class D felony)
  • First-degree terroristic threatening/threatens physical injury or property damage (Class D felony)
  • Second-degree false imprisonment/interferes with another person’s liberty (Class A misdemeanor)
  • Fleeing (Class A misdemeanor)
  • Possession of a Schedule VI substance less than four ounces (Class A misdemeanor)
  • Violation of a no-contact order (Unclassified)

The affidavit noted that Brown had previously pleaded guilty to third-degree domestic battery against the same victim on Oct. 8, 2025, and had been under an active no-contact order issued on June 30, 2025.

Following his recent arrest, a temporary bond was set on April 12 with a new no-contact order, which Brown refused to sign. During a follow-up interview on April 14, the victim showed officers that Brown had attempted to call her early that morning from the Craighead County Detention Center.

Brown’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 18. If convicted on all charges, he faces up to life in prison and fines up to $27,500.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic/sexual violence, call 800-656-HOPE (4673) to reach the National Sexual Assault Hotline.

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