A Marion County man who is on probation for hitting his two-year-old son in 2019, has been arrested on multiple felony charges, including kidnapping, a class Y felony, the most serious crime in Arkansas not punishable by the death penalty. Thirty-three-year-old Ivan Duane Froit of Flippin was arrested following an altercation with a female on Marion County Road 8116, northwest of Flippin.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the Flippin Police Department after the victim showed up there to report the crime. The victim told deputies she was held against her will and beaten by Froit for nearly four hours on the evening of August 9.
She says Froit was drunk when he entered her residence which is across the street from where Froit had been staying. She says Froit started arguing with her and then choked her, causing her to pass out twice. The victim says each time she tried to leave, Froit would hit and choke her to keep her there.
She also alleges Froit threw her down the stairs, pulled her arm out of socket, broke a tooth, punched her in the face, attempted to have sex with her and threatened to kill her.
The victim was finally able to escape and went to the residence across the street.
Froit is charged with kidnapping, sexual assault in the second degree, aggravated assault on a family or household member, domestic battery in the second degree, terroristic threatening, theft of property and interfering with emergency communications. His bond is set at $50,000.
Froit was arrested in August, 2019 after his two-year-old son was taken to Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) by the boy’s mother.
Medical records indicate the toddler had an abrasion and swelling to the upper lip, bruising to his cheeks, chin, forehead, temple and under both eyes and left ear, with swelling and bruising of the scalp just above the left ear.
The child’s mother told authorities she received the toddler back from his biological father, identified as Froit. Froit told the child’s mother the 2-year-old had fallen while at the playground. The child had been in Froit’s care for two weeks.
A physician with ACH said the number and locations of the bruising would not be accounted for by a playground fall. Instead, the physician said the injuries suggest being struck on multiple occasions.
Froit pled guilty to a felony domestic battering charge and was sentenced to 10 years supervised probation. Online court documents indicate under the terms of the agreement, Froit will have no contact with his son or the child’s mother except under court order. He was also ordered to complete anger management and parenting classes in the first year of his probation.
(Alan Barclay)
Also arrested at the scene earlier this month was the man Froit has been staying with in the house across the street from the victim. Thirty-six-year-old Alan Barclay is charged with hindering apprehension.
According to the probable cause affidavit, when deputies were looking for Froit, they went to Barclay’s residence and Barclay denied Froit was at the house. Another person in the house told law enforcement Froit was indeed there when they arrived. Barclay later admitted Froit was there but ran into the woods when deputies arrived.
Barclay is free on $1,500 bond.
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