An Arkansas apartment manager faces a barrage of charges after tenants allege he abused them, threatened them and cut off water and electricity, then demanded sex to restore service.
Tom Kelso, 72, of Searcy, Arkansas, was arrested earlier this month and charged with rape and three counts of human trafficking as well as drug and firearms charges, all of which he allegedly Both took place at Briarwood Apartments, a complex he manages in the city, Carker reports.
His bond is set at $650,000.
Another woman, Lori Leavell, was arrested for helping Kelso commit the crime, police said.
Officers from Searcy Police and the State Drug Task Force made the arrests after executing search warrants on Kelso’s home, his office and a storage room after receiving complaints about drug and human trafficking.
The search turned up firearms, methamphetamine, fentanyl and drug paraphernalia, all of which were confiscated, police said.
Tenants told local NBC affiliate KARK, they were relieved Kelso was eventually arrested and said they had observed him being abused or directly abused early on.
“I want to see him get justice because it’s not right,” resident Tesha Aguilar told the outlet. “Whether he’s there or not, we shouldn’t be afraid to step out of our apartments.”
Kelso could face additional costs. After KARK first released the story of his arrest, Searcy Police Chief Steve Hernandez told the media that 20 more alleged victims had contacted the department.
— Ted Glazer
