On April 20, 2013 the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office along with the Walnut Ridge Police Department arrested four men on charges of rape and contributing to the delinquency of juvenile. The men arrested were Joseph Stewart (23), Patrick Moody (25), Todd Jayce Matthews (23) and Joshua Vidal (21) all four live in Walnut Ridge. The arrests come after two juvenile females reported that they had been given alcohol and raped while they were under the influence. Officers from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office and Walnut Ridge Police Department worked the case together gathering evidence, talking to witnesses and interviewing the suspects. Officers soon gathered enough information to place the four suspects under arrest. All four were taken into custody without incident and transported to the Lawrence County Jail to await bond hearings. Matthews, Moody and Stewart’s bond was set at $100,000 and Vidal was set at $50,000. All four were given Circuit Court dates of May 15. Matthews, Moody and Stewart all have prior criminal histories.
For more information on the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, visit www.lawrencecountysheriffsoffice.com .
For more information on the Walnut Ridge Police Department visit www.cityofwalnutridge.com .
