By Pat Culverhouse

A 50-year-old Sarepta man is being held on multiple charges after he allegedly held a female victim against her will at his Smith Loop residence, threatened and later physically assaulted her.

Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker said James D. Collins was arrested April 11 after deputies responded to the report of a female telling a truck stop employee that a man had pulled a gun on her.

Sgt. Aaron Barnes and deputy Jeff Hood learned Collins and the victim had been involved in an on-going altercation since earlier in the week, and that she had been afraid to leave the residence because of alleged threats he had made.

During an argument, Collins reportedly grabbed the victim by her hair, forced her to the floor of the residence and struck her in the head and on the foot with a glass vodka bottle. He then allegedly threatened to break both her feet.

According to her statement to deputies, the victim was able to leave the residence after Collins reportedly fell asleep in the living room. During his arrest, the suspect reportedly admitted to deputies that he had handled a shotgun, then placed it in a closet.

Parker said Collins is charged with false imprisonment, domestic abuse battery, simple assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and on a warrant filed April 12 for domestic abuse aggravated assault. His total bond has been set at $55,000.

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.