The Baxter County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Cedar Lake, Indiana man on a multitude of felony and misdemeanor charges after responding to a physical disturbance taking place at 491 Oak Valley Lane Monday evening, May 9th.
At approximately 7:50 PM, the 9-1-1 call center received a call reporting that MATTHEW RICHARD SAYGER was beating on another person at that address. Sheriff’s Deputies George Hinson and Timothy King responded to the scene. While enroute, the deputies came across two separate victims from the incident, together with a 4 year old child, in a vehicle headed to the hospital in Mountain Home. One victim had obvious serious injuries to his face. The deputies were informed that SAYGER was still at the residence in question and continued on to the house. As deputies were driving down Oak Valley Ln, they noticed a Ford Escape coming toward them at a high rate of speed. The deputies stopped in the roadway. The approaching vehicle stopped, and a man got out of the vehicle holding a bottle of whiskey. This person was later identified as MATTHEW RICHARD SAYGER. SAYGER began yelling at the deputies, then went back to his vehicle and picked up a golf club. SAYGER threatened deputies with the golf club and continued drinking the whiskey as he was held at gunpoint. SAYGER finally threw the golf club into the woods, and he was then taken into custody, being ultimately transported to the Baxter County Detention Center for booking. While enroute to the Detention Center, SAYGER stated several times that he wanted to kill the victim and that he “should have just shot him”.
Deputies then went to the hospital and spoke with the victims. Deputies learned that SAYGER had been staying with the victims at their residence, the home of his mother, for the past 2 or 3 days. A disturbance had erupted at the dinner table, and SAYGER began physically assaulting the victims.
One of the victims, a 59 year old male, sustained serious physical injuries as the result of SAYGER’s attack and was transferred to another medical facility in Little Rock for specialized treatment. The second victim and the child did not appear to be injured.
MATTHEW RICHARD SAYGER has two active Orders of Protection from the State of Indiana and is out on bond on pending domestic abuse charges from Indiana. He also has an active arrest warrant from Indiana, but Arkansas is out of their extradition limit on the warrant.
MATTHEW RICHARD SAYGER, 30 years of age, was booked on charges of:
Battery in the First Degree – Felony
Aggravated Assault on Law Enforcement Officer (2 counts) – Felonies
Terroristic Threatening in the First Degree – Felony
Assault on Family or Household Member in the Third Degree – Misdemeanor
Endangering the Welfare of a Minor in the Third Degree – Misdemeanor
Refusal to Submit to Arrest – Misdemeanor
Driving While Intoxicated – Misdemeanor
Disorderly Conduct – Misdemeanor
Refusal to Submit to a Chemical Test – Misdemeanor
Open Alcohol Container in Vehicle – Misdemeanor
SAYGER remains in custody under a $75,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear before the Circuit Court to answer on May 16th.