5 nabbed in burglaries, break-ins
STEVEN MROSS
The Sentinel-Record
Garland County Sheriff’s investigators have arrested five suspects since Thursday in connection with a burglary ring of sorts allegedly responsible for numerous burglaries and break-ins at storage facilities in recent weeks.
The suspects are “all sort of tied together but not directly tied together,” GCSD Sgt. Joel Ware said Monday, noting, “They all know each other” and some of the suspects did work together.
“You could call it a burglary ring,” he said, “We’ve been able to tie these suspects into nine burglaries and have recovered thousands of dollars in stolen property, including a stolen RV.”
Ware also noted they expect more charges to be filed in the cases and anticipate more arrests.
“We’ve been working non-stop on this, even through the holidays, trying to get everybody picked up and every day would lead us to something new.”
Ware commended the efforts of GCSD patrol deputies and Arkansas State Police in making the arrests.
“They helped us tremendously. They were taking the information we developed and provided and acting on it. They did a really good job following up on it and finding the suspects.”
Christopher Allen Newton, 32, who lists an address of 5898 Albert Pike in Royal, was initially arrested Dec. 31 on felony drug charges, but has now been charged with three felony counts of residential burglary, each punishable by up to 20 years in prison, several counts of theft of property, including some involving firearms and possession of a firearm by certain persons because he is a previously convicted felon.
He remained in custody Monday with his bond set at more than $15,000, which doesn’t include the new charges.
According to the affidavit, three different women had reported residential burglaries, one on Dec. 24 and the other two on Dec. 28, all involving forced entry to their homes and the theft of numerous items including jewelry, a laptop computer and digital camera.
At the time of Newton’s arrest Dec. 31 at an area motel, deputies located the laptop computer and jewelry items matching the description of the earlier stolen property in the motel room.
Investigators spoke to the female who had rented the room, and she gave them consent to search further and they located numerous other items from the burglaries. In a later interview, the woman confirmed she had dropped Newton off at the three residences and would come back later to pick him up.
The woman stated she did not enter any of the residences, but confirmed Newton would come back with stolen property.
Buddy Lee Harris, 34, who lists an address of 109 Caraway St., was arrested Thursday and charged with two felony counts of residential burglary and two counts of theft of property, possession of a firearm by certain persons and drug charges. He remained in custody Monday in lieu of $29,000 bond.
Brandon Lloyd Huggs, 28, who lists an address of 575 S. Harris Road in Pearcy, was arrested Sunday and charged with two counts of residential burglary. He remains in custody in lieu of $10,000 bond.
Joshua Edward Boyette, 28, who lists an address of 120 Hershel Loop, was also arrested Sunday and charged with three counts of residential burglary, but also had warrants for thirddegree domestic battery, failure to pay and failure to appear. He remains in custody in lieu of $13,500 bond.
According to affidavits, on Dec. 7, a burglary was reported on Northgate Street in which electronics, jewelry and a firearm, totaling more than $7,000, were taken. On Dec. 14, a burglary was reported on Fleetwood Drive in which a large gun safe, electronics, money, tools, firearms, silver bars, checks, credit cards and a compound bow were stolen, with a total value of more than $19,000.
On Dec. 17, GCSD investigator James “Danny” Wilson learned Harris and Boyette had been arrested in Pulaski County while using credit cards stolen in the Fleetwood Drive burglary. He questioned Boyette, who advised Harris was responsible for the Fleetwood burglary.
On Jan. 3, Harris was arrested by Hot Springs Police on unrelated charges and was questioned by Wilson and Ware and confessed to the Fleetwood burglary, but also implicated Boyette and Huggs. Harris also gave investigators information about the Northgate burglary, which also involved Boyette and Huggs.
On Jan. 3, Dagan Verda Galen Turner, 41, who lists an address of 203 S. Ross Maddox Road in Pearcy, was arrested and charged with 11 felony counts of breaking or entering, each punishable by up to six years in prison. He remained in custody Monday in lieu of $10,000 bond.
According to the affidavit, on Dec. 20, a break-in was reported to nine storage units at Lock and Load Inc., 3591 Highway 7 north, but it was unknown what was taken since the units were rented to various customers.
On Jan. 2, a local man reported a break-in to his fifthwheel camper at the same location, causing $500 in damages, but nothing was noted missing. That same day, another man reported a break-in to a storage unit and utility trailer at that location and the theft of more than $8,000 worth of construction tools.
Using security video and a confidential informant, Ware identified Turner as one of four suspects who broke into the units.
Ware stressed the investigation is continuing into all the thefts and burglaries.
