


A Charleston, South Carolina, man was taken into custody Sunday after he hid in his ex-girlfriend’s shower, pretended to stab her and later choked her in what he called a “prank,” police say.
Jackson Collum Arnold, 25, is facing multiple charges in connection with the incident, including assault/battery of a high and aggravated nature, first-degree burglary and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Officers say that Arnold went over to the woman’s house on James Island late Saturday night after an argument over text.
Arnold entered her house without permission, according to a police report obtained by Charleston NBC affiliate WCBD. Arnold hid in the shower of his victim’s modified garage apartment and used a pair of her black biker shorts and a baseball cap to conceal his identity.
When the woman arrived home around midnight, she noticed her own clothing items on what she believed was a stranger. Arnold allegedly wore glasses, a grey sweatshirt and no pants, and held a kitchen knife in one of his hands, reports say.
After the victim screamed, police say, Arnold pushed her toward a door and imitated slicing her throat with the knife but did not make any contact.
Arnold allegedly dropped the knife and attempted to choke the woman, which made her vision foggy, according to the Charleston Post And Courier.
The woman managed to rip off the shorts from her attacker and realized it was Arnold, reports say.
He attempted to tell her that it was all just a prank, and she deescalated things by telling Arnold she needed to tell her mother next door not to worry.
When Arnold let her go, the woman told her family to call 911.
After officers arrived on scene, Arnold was arrested and taken to a local detention center, where he remained behind bars as of Wednesday afternoon.
He allegedly told the police he intended to surprise the woman and “lighten the mood” by scaring her.