A Pulaski County circuit judge on Monday increased the bail of a North Little Rock man accused of robbing a woman by threatening her with a hammer because the 31-year-old defendant missed a court appearance.
"I want to make sure Mr. [Jarrod Lee] Ellison shows up," Judge Wendell Griffen said.
The judge set bail at $75,000, a $25,000 boost from the bond Ellison posted when he was released from jail on May 24.
Deputy prosecutor Michael Wright had asked for $100,000 bail. Ellison's lawyer asked the judge to leave his $50,000 bond in place. The defendant was still in the Pulaski County jail on Tuesday.
Griffen also ordered Ellison to report to the probation office weekly if he does make bail again.
Testifying at Monday's bail hearing, Little Rock detective Bobby Martin told the judge that Janice Salley-Tatum, 55, of Sweet Home identified Ellison as the man who cut her off in traffic at 16th and Main streets on May 1, clipping the front end of her 2000 black Mazda 626 with the 1999 black Honda Accord he was driving.
Ellison got out of his car with a claw hammer and bashed in her back window, telling her "I'm going to do more than that. Give me your money" when Salley-Tatum complained, Martin testified.
Ellison tried to open the driver's door, but it was locked. He nevertheless was able to reach into the car and grab the $185 the woman had just withdrawn from the bank, Martin told the judge.
Salley-Tatum had first encountered Ellison a few minutes earlier at the Regions Bank branch at Ninth Street and Interstate 30, the detective said. She'd gone to the bank to make a withdrawal and noticed a black Honda following her from Sweet Home, Martin said.
The car also parked at the bank, and she recognized Ellison as the son of a former neighbor when he got out of the car, although she couldn't remember his first name.
The judge issued an arrest warrant when Ellison did not show up for his July 16 arraignment. He was arrested again on Aug. 9 in Bryant and has been jailed ever since.
Metro on 10/05/2018