Two brothers are being held in the Union County Jail on charges of attempted murder and other felonies in connection to a stabbing that resulted in serious injuries for an El Dorado man.
Roderick R. Hicks, 47, remained hospitalized in Little Rock Friday with severe wounds that appear to have been made with a cutting instrument, El Dorado police said.
Hicks was listed in critical but stable condition.
Michael A. King, 44, of 408 Melrose and Ronald F. King, 47, of 1308 E. Cedar, made their first appearances Friday in 35th Judicial District Court on charges of criminal attempt murder, first-degree, aggravated residential burglary and engaging in violent group criminal activity.
Lt. Scott Harwell, of the El Dorado Police Department’s Criminal Investigative Division, said an altercation began outside Hicks’s residence in the 1000 block of East Monroe.
“He retreated inside the house, shut the door and locked it and there was forced entry into the house,” Harwell said.
He said the King brothers shattered a sliding glass door to enter the residence.
The Kings also sustained injuries in the incident — Ronald, a severe laceration to the neck and a cut to the right arm and Michael, a superficial cut to the head.
At approximately 9 p.m. Thursday, officers were called to the Monroe Street residence in reference to a stabbing.
Upon arrival, police learned there were possible two victims and one of them, Ronald King, had been driven by private vehicle to Medical Center of South Arkansas.
Hicks was transported by ambulance to MCSA and later airlifted to a Little Rock hospital for further treatment.
Harwell said investigators are still trying to sort out the details of the incident, noting that they spoke to multiple witnesses who were at Hicks’s residence when the incident occurred.
“They were able to tell us that it started as a disturbance and escalated from there,” he said.
Investigators were also able to speak briefly with Hicks at MCSA, the detective said.
Based on statements from Hicks and witnesses, Ronald King was identified as a suspect. He was taken into custody after being treated and released from MCSA, Harwell said.
Michael King was arrested an hour later at his residence.
Bond was set at $250,000, cash or corporate surety, for Ronald King during first appearance hearings Friday in district court.
Michael was issued a cash or corporate surety bond of $150,000.
When asked how the altercation began and how the victim and suspects were injured, Harwell said, “I can’t answer that right now, to be honest.”
“It’s still an ongoing investigation. We’re still trying to gather all the facts. We don’t know if anyone else is going to be charged or not,” he said.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at tlyons@ eldoradonews.com.