Today, a pretrial hearing is scheduled at the Bi-State Justice Building for the defendant involved in the alleged assault of a Central Mall employee. Daniel Lynn Thomas, 38, hailing from Texarkana, Arkansas, was apprehended by the Texarkana Texas Police Department in January under a charge of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. Records indicate he posted bail set at $150,000 and was released on the same day of his arrest. Thomas was formally indicted in March, as per court documents, and he is being represented by attorney Jeff Harrelson. The incident occurred on January 20, prompting TTPD officers to respond to Central Mall, where they discovered Richard “Jay” Houff with severe facial trauma. Subsequent investigation revealed that a female Central Mall employee had previously confronted two unsupervised teenage boys engaged in horseplay with a rentable stroller for children. The situation escalated when the employee intervened, asking the teens to cease their behavior, which allegedly led to verbal abuse.
