Investigators said the victim suffered severe burns, a fractured rib and bruising after falling to the floor.

TRUMANN, Ark. — An Arkansas recycling worker has been charged with first-degree battery after investigators said he used a metal-cutting blowtorch to burn a co-worker during a March shift at Metal Man Recycling in Trumann.

The case moved from a workplace injury report into a criminal charge after Poinsett County investigators reviewed interviews and a witness video, according to reports on the affidavit. Joshua Warren Campbell, 37, was arrested after a judge found probable cause. Police said the dispute centered on a claim that the injured worker owed $100 for a moped. Campbell later posted a $10,000 bond and was released from jail.

The alleged attack happened March 23 while Campbell and the victim were working at the recycling business, investigators said. Detective Garrett Woods of the Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office said in the affidavit that Campbell used a blowtorch meant for cutting metal and pointed it at the victim’s back. The flame set the man on fire, police said. The victim fell to the ground, where he suffered more injuries. Woods said the man’s back showed second- and third-degree burns. The injury required surgery and a skin graft, according to the affidavit. The victim also had a fractured rib and bruising to his leg after the fall.

Police have not publicly identified the victim. During an interview at the Trumann Police Department, the man told investigators he learned before the incident that Campbell and another employee had talked about “jumping” him, according to the affidavit. That statement became part of the timeline investigators used to examine whether the burning was accidental or intentional. The victim also told police that another man had recorded Campbell talking about what happened. Woods later spoke with the witness, who turned over the video. The witness told investigators that when he saw the victim lying on the floor, he could see burns on the man’s back and thought the man was dead.

The recording became a central piece of the case. Investigators said Campbell could be heard discussing the $100 moped debt and saying the money was owed to another employee’s father. Woods wrote that Campbell also said he “felt bad for it” and “wished it was the other way around.” The affidavit said Campbell added that the victim did not deserve “karma like that” and that he knew the injury hurt. Police cited those statements as evidence that Campbell understood the severity of the burning. The reports do not say whether Campbell has entered a plea or whether he has an attorney listed in court records.

Metal Man Recycling sits in Trumann, a Poinsett County city in northeast Arkansas where industrial and scrap work often involves tools that can cut, crush or heat metal. Police said the tool in the case was a metal-cutting blowtorch, not a household item or a lighter. That detail shaped the charge because investigators described the flame as the source of serious physical injury. First-degree battery in Arkansas generally covers severe harm or conduct involving a deadly weapon or other dangerous instrument, depending on the facts alleged in a case. Prosecutors still must prove the charge in court.

The affidavit placed the March 23 burning in the middle of a small money dispute that investigators said had been discussed among workers. The amount, $100, was tied to a moped, police said. The record does not say whether the victim agreed that he owed the money, whether the moped was sold or loaned, or whether any civil dispute over the vehicle existed before the alleged attack. It also does not identify the other employee whose father was mentioned in the recording. Investigators have not said whether anyone else at the business will face charges.

Campbell was booked into the Poinsett County Detention Center on April 20, nearly a month after the burning, jail records cited in reports show. The gap between the incident and the booking followed interviews, review of the recording and the probable cause finding. A judge later allowed Campbell to leave custody after he posted $10,000 bond. The charge remains an accusation, and Campbell is presumed innocent unless convicted. His next court date was not immediately available in the public reports reviewed for the case.

The injuries described by police were severe enough to require hospital care beyond first aid at the business. Second-degree burns damage deeper layers of skin, while third-degree burns can destroy the full thickness of skin and require grafting. In this case, investigators said the victim needed a skin graft, a procedure in which healthy skin is moved to cover an injured area. The affidavit did not say how long the victim remained hospitalized, whether he returned to work or whether he faces more procedures. Police also did not release a detailed condition update after the arrest.

The workplace setting is part of what made the case stand out. According to investigators, the men were not strangers and the alleged attack did not happen during a chance encounter. They were co-workers inside a business using equipment tied to their jobs. The witness account described a scene that appeared immediately grave, with the victim on the floor and his back visibly burned. The reported recording gave police a second layer of evidence beyond the injury itself by capturing statements that investigators interpreted as an admission and expression of regret.

Authorities have released only limited details since the charge was filed. The public record so far names Campbell, the charge, the date of the alleged attack, the business, the injuries and the claimed reason for the dispute. It leaves open several questions, including who handled the torch before the incident, how close other workers were at the time and whether any security cameras at the business recorded the burning. Those issues could surface later through court filings, testimony or a hearing if the case moves forward.

Campbell had been released on bond after being charged in Poinsett County. The next major step is the scheduling of court proceedings, where prosecutors may present the affidavit, witness video and medical evidence tied to the March 23 incident.

Author note: Last updated May 20, 2026.