A traffic stop in Benton resulted in the arrest of a Little Rock woman already facing a first-degree murder charge connected to the death of an infant, according to authorities.
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The Benton Police Department reported that Officer Wilfong discovered a vehicle stopped in the roadway with hazard lights activated near Carpenter Street and Main Street. While checking on the driver to offer assistance, the officer made contact with Gabrielle Ayers, 28, of Little Rock.
During the encounter, officers determined Ayers had an active bench warrant out of Jefferson County for first-degree murder and first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor. She was taken into custody without incident and later transferred to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a previous release from the Pine Bluff Police Department, the charges stem from the January 3, 2025 death of a 2-month-old infant. Officers initially responded to a report of an unresponsive child, who was transported to Jefferson Regional Medical Center and later pronounced dead.
Investigators determined the infant had suffered physical abuse. Authorities said Timothy Martin allegedly inflicted the injuries, while Ayers, the child’s mother, was aware of the abuse and did not seek medical treatment. An autopsy later ruled the cause of death as craniocerebral trauma and classified the manner of death as homicide.
Prosecutors formally charged both Ayers and Martin with first-degree murder in April 2026. Martin was later located and arrested in the Mabelvale area with assistance from U.S. Marshals and the Little Rock Police Department.
Ayers remains in custody on a $100,000 bond.












