Henderson woman accused of assaulting, filing false report on former partner

A dispute over child custody led to the arrest of a Henderson woman on multiple charges early last week. Thirty-six-year-old Amber Dewitt is facing one count each of third-degree domestic battery, third-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, resisting arrest, second-degree criminal mischief and filing a false report of criminal wrongdoing.

According to an incident report, a Baxter County deputy was notified by dispatch on the evening of Feb. 17 of a female, identified as Dewitt, wanting to file a kidnapping report regarding her child. Earlier in the day, the deputy was dispatched to a residence on Reid Lane in Henderson for a welfare check on the child and was not able to make contact. Dewitt claimed her former partner had possession of the child, and she was unable to contact either of them.

Dewitt also stated the ex-partner had the child for three weeks, and she had just made the report because the former partner had “been messing with her recently.” Dewitt claimed the individual stopped assisting her with income, and the electricity had been turned off at her residence. She also accused the ex-partner of having fraudulent power-of-attorney paperwork over the child.

The deputy later contacted the former partner, who stated there was an incident earlier in the day. Another incident report indicates the individual went to the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office and claimed to have possession of the child. The ex-partner had reportedly taken the child to see Dewitt and bring her some food, but the child did not want to go inside the residence. The former partner also didn’t go in, and Dewitt allegedly assaulted the victim and kicked the car, leaving a dent in it.

The victim claimed to have had the child since October, and during that period, Dewitt has only seen the child for two weeks at the most. The individual also claimed to have power-of-attorney paperwork, and a report had been filed on the domestic incident.

The responding deputy went with another deputy to Dewitt’s address on Brookland Lane. She reportedly admitted there was an incident that afternoon, but she didn’t go into detail. When Dewitt was advised she was being arrested, she refused to place her hands behind her back. She allegedly physically resisted and refused to drop a cigarette lighter from her hand. She was assisted to the ground, and one the deputies was able to pry the lighter away. The deputies had to carry Dewitt to the vehicle when she refused to go, and when she was placed in the patrol unit, she allegedly kicked the door to prevent it from being closed. The deputies were able to bend her legs enough to get the door closed. Dewitt did not sustain any injuries, and she was transported to the Baxter County Detention Center without any further incident.

The next day, a sheriff’s investigator received a copy of the power-of-attorney paperwork from the Baxter County Clerk’s Office. The initial documents were reportedly filed in October 2022 by Dewitt, and no other papers have been filed since.

Dewitt has been free on a bond of $1,950 since Friday.

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