Arkansas
Arkansas organizations working together to end human trafficking
JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – Human trafficking is a crime hidden in plain sight affecting thousands across the nation and Region 8.
In Arkansas, the battle against human trafficking is gaining momentum thanks to organizations across the state.
At the forefront is the Arkansas Human Trafficking Council, led by Arkansas State Police Sergeant Matt Foster.
The council includes local non-profits and state authorities coming together to perform operations against human trafficking. Their goal is to raise awareness and provide support to victims.
“You know, if not us then who?” said Foster. “I believe, after three operations we identified there’s a problem and now it’s starting to find those solutions.”
Foster has been leading the charge in the statewide fight against human trafficking and wants everyone to understand how much each community means to the cause.
“In Hot Springs, Jonesboro, we pick out a hotel; a hotel owner will help us with the rooms for the operation,” he explained. “Garland County has a human trafficking task force. That task force was able to provide us with food and drinks for our law enforcement operation that night. So, whenever we have our briefing, we’re all fed. In Jonesboro, we had a local church donate the food to us. I’m so thankful for all the community involvement and all the troopers and all the victim services that travel into these communities.”
While they have already conducted a few operations, the fight isn’t over.
Organizations like Hope Found of Northeast Arkansas and its director Megan Brown are still working locally day in and day out to raise awareness about who trafficking can happen to and how it can happen.
“Traffickers are looking for those with noticeable vulnerabilities, so they prey on vulnerable populations,” said Megan Brown. “That means our kids, that means people that are homeless, that are addicted to drugs, that are in some kind of state of desperation, and they need help. And here comes a trafficker trying to exploit that vulnerability.”
Because of the need to increase awareness, spotting someone in one of these situations can be hard to do.
Brown emphasized that many victims of human trafficking are not chained up and held captive all the time.
“It does happen, but it’s all about the mental chains that they’re enduring,” she said.
If you notice anything out of the ordinary with someone close to you, Sergeant Foster encourages you to ask questions and get to know their situation better. He also urges reporting anything suspicious.
“Reporting is the most important thing, in what the public can do,” Foster said. “So we can respond to that incident and might be able to save someone’s life, might be able to save a child’s life. Understand, human trafficking is here. It’s in Arkansas.”
Both Brown and Sergeant Foster want everyone to remember that human trafficking is a prevalent issue in rural areas as well as large cities. They both want everyone to come together and give victims their voice back.
“It’s all about choice, giving this individual a choice for the first time in a long time,” Foster said. “It’s just a powerful thing to see everybody, arms working for one goal.”
For more information on indicators and how to report possible human trafficking, visit the websites for the Arkansas Department of Public Safety and Hope Found of NEA.
To report a typo or correction, please click here.
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Arkansas
No. 1 Arkansas leads SEC Indoor after first day finals
COLLEGE STATION – A victory in the 5,000m by Nick Busienei and third place in the distance medley relay had No. 1 Arkansas leading the team score with 18 points on the first day of the SEC Indoor Championships.
The Razorbacks produced 12 of those points in the 5,000m as Nick Busienei won the race in a meet record of 13;31.86, which ranks him No. 7 on the UA all-time list. Busienei bettered the meet record of 13:37.52 set by Razorback Patrick Kiprop in 2025.
James Sankei added two more points in placing seventh with a time of 13:44.57.
Dating back to 1992 when Arkansas competed in its first SEC Indoor meet, Busienei claimed the 21st title for the program and is the 14th Razorback to win the indoor 5,000m.
Six more points were added in the distance medley relay as Arkansas posted a time of 9:30.84 from the foursome of Owan Logorodi (2:58.46), Zyaire Nuriddin (46.51), Julian Carter (1:49.10), and Brian Masai (3:56.77).
South Carolina won the race in 9:30.08 with Ole Miss runner-up in 9:30.34. Florida originally placed third in 9:30.37 but was disqualified for spiking the baton at the conclusion of the race.
Jelani Watkins led the Razorback crew in the 200m prelims as three Arkansas sprinters advanced to the final. Watkins produced an indoor career best of 20.42 rank second overall to a 20.38 by Florida’s Wayna McCoy. Watkins remains No. 2 on the UA all-time list as he improved his previous time of 20.43.
Dapriest Hogans followed with a 20.63 that equaled his career best and his No. 8 ranking on the UA all-time list. Tevijon Williams clocked 20.65 to reach the final where 20.71 was the cutoff time. Jamarion Stubbs ran 20.87 in his prelim heat.
Cooper Williams completed the first day of the heptathlon in sixth place with 2,862 points. He started with a 7.43 in the 60m (736), then added a 21-9.5 (6.64) long jump (729). In the shot put, a mark of 36-8.25 (11.18) picked up 557 points. Williams wrapped up day one by topping the field in the high jump with a clearance of 6-8.25 for 840 points.
Link Lindsey placed 15 in the long jump with a mark of 23-6.75 (7.18).
Arkansas
The wall goes back up: Arkansas embraces defiant isolation
Arkansas
Man arrested in Arkansas connected to Jan. 2026 fatal hit-and-run in Dallas
DALLAS – Authorities in Arkansas have arrested a man accused of being behind the wheel during a January car crash that left one man dead.
Suspect arrested in Arkansas for Dallas hit-and-run
What we know:
U.S. Marshals tracked down 22-year-old Enrique Hernandez in De Queen, a southwest Arkansas town about three hours away from Dallas and an hour north of Texarkana.
Hernandez has been charged with collision involving death, a second-degree felony, in connection with the case. He is currently being held in an Arkansas jail before he is transferred to a jail in Dallas County.
What we don’t know:
Dallas police haven’t said if the suspect has any ties to the victim or the area of Arkansas where he was arrested.
The backstory:
The fatal hit-and-run occurred around 3 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 11 near W. Davis St. and N. Westmoreland Dr. in Dallas.
26-year-old Johnathan Rodriguez was dropped off by friends outside his Dallas neighborhood early Sunday morning after celebrating his birthday.
Surveillance video shows Rodriguez in the media area of the road when a dark-colored SUV hits him and drives away.
Rodriguez was left with severe head trauma, later dying from his injuries.
A bittersweet victory for the family
What they’re saying:
John Rodriguez, the victim’s father, struggled to find the words to describe the news he received.
“It’s not going to bring him back, bring my son back,” Rodriguez told FOX 4’s Peyton Yager. “It hurts every day, every minute. I wake up every morning, and he is not here. We are really going to miss him.”
The Rodriguez family worked with police to help find their son’s killer. They found more surveillance video near the scene of the accident that helped authorities find and arrest Hernandez in Arkansas.
“We are going to fight for justice. Long live Johnny, and we are going to keep on fighting,” Rodriguez said.
The Source: Information in this story came from current and previous FOX 4 reporting.
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