From staff reports
A Laurens man is headed to prison for the next 15 years after he pleaded guilty this week to charges stemming from a domestic assault.
Arcadio Kenneth Hernandez, 23, pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to charges of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, trafficking methamphetamine, trafficking heroin, driving under suspension, failure to stop for blue lights, and reckless driving. Circuit Judge Jane Merrill accepted Hernandez’s plea and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.
In December 2024, deputies responded to a call at a Laurens County residence where the victim indicated that she had been assaulted by Hernandez. The victim told officers that she and Hernandez had been arguing and then Hernandez began hitting her. He then went into his bedroom and retrieved a handgun. Hernandez fired a shot into the floor of the residence which grazed the victim’s foot. He then stomped her injured foot before snatching the victim’s cell phone and retreating to a bedroom. This allowed the victim to get away and call 911. Hernandez fled the scene just before deputies arrived…