Jackson Arnold (Charleston County Sheriff’s Office).
A South Carolina man who allegedly thought it would be a good idea to “prank” his ex-girlfriend by sneaking into her house and hiding in her shower with a knife — without wearing pants or undergarments, his face concealed by the woman’s underwear — is being sued by her for “civil assault” and causing “great emotional distress,” according to her complaint.
“The Defendant’s conduct and actions were so extreme and outrageous so as to exceed all possible bounds of decency and should be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized community,” the victim’s attorney, Bradley W. Bonville, alleges in a five-page legal complaint filed in Charleston County on Sept. 29 against Jackson Arnold and viewed by Law&Crime.
Arnold, who was 25 at the time of the May incident, is facing charges of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, first-degree burglary, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to online court records. He is accused of sneaking into his ex’s home on Westway Drive in Charleston through a detached garage apartment while she was not home.
“The plaintiff and defendant were involved in romantic relationship that had come to an end,” the victim’s complaint alleges.
“After the plaintiff and defendant ‘broke-up,’ the defendant became hyper-obsessed with the whereabouts of the plaintiff,” the document says. “The defendant began to stalk the plaintiff at her job as a nanny for young children in Charleston County.”
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According to the victim, Arnold traveled to her home in downtown Charleston on the evening of May 2 while she was out with several of her friends for dinner and drinks. He allegedly entered her residence and hid in her shower with the pair of underwear concealing his face and no pants or undergarments on, while in possession of a “large knife.”
“The plaintiff was not aware that any other person(s) were in her home and there was no apparent signs of a break-in,” the complaint says, noting how the woman changed clothes and was about to leave her residence to walk to an adjoining house owned by her parents. “Without warning, the defendant appeared from the plaintiff’s bathroom. … The Defendant was not wearing any clothing other than a set of the plaintiffs underwear that was draped around his head, concealing his appearance.”
The woman says Arnold began to approach her “at a rapid pace while wielding the aforementioned knife.” She was able to “successfully parry the knife” from his grasp, which sparked an alleged scuffle between the two of them. “The defendant pressed his hands against the plaintiff’s throat, forced her to the ground and choked her forcefully,” the complaint states. “The plaintiff was able to remove her underwear from the defendant’s face, thus exposing him completely.”
Upon the removal of the underwear, Arnold allegedly stopped choking his ex and began “muttering uncontrollably.” The woman rushed over to her parents’ house and called the police, per the complaint. Arnold allegedly tried telling the woman that he was trying to “prank” her in an attempt to “lighten the mood” and talk, according to his arrest report, which was obtained by local NBC affiliate WCBD.
Online court records show that Arnold’s case was still pending as of Sunday. His last court appearance was Oct. 17.
