Traffic stop leads to arrest of three suspects, one suspect flees
Sheriff’s files
STEVEN MROSS
The Sentinel-Record staff
A traffic stop on a pickup with fictitious tags led to the arrest of three suspects early Tuesday while one suspect fled the scene.
Patricia Spring Green, 40, of Malvern, Richard Dewayne Clift, 42, who lists an address of 611 Pitcher Cane Road, and Shannon Lynn Chewning, 27, who lists an address of 138 Drexel St., were all taken into custody shortly before 3:30 a.m. and charged with a felony count of possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to six years in prison.
Green was also charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, methamphetamines, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Green, who lists no prior felony history, was still being held Wednesday in lieu of $7,000 bond while Clift and Chewning were each released on $2,500 bond.
All three suspects are set to appear July 24 in Garland County District Court.
According to the affidavit, shortly before 2:30 a.m., Garland County Sheriff’s Deputy Matthew Wharton saw a blue 1978 Chevrolet pickup eastbound on Foxpass Cutoff and noted the license plate was not illuminated. A check of the plate returned to a green Ford pickup.
He made a traffic stop in the parking lot of DeSoto Park on Park Avenue and as the vehicle came to a stop, one of the passengers jumped out and fled on foot into the park toward the Hot Springs Police Department’s pistol range.
At that point, Wharton ordered the driver, identified as Clift, to turn the vehicle off and had all the occupants, including Green and Chewning, put their hands on their head as he called for backup.
He questioned them about the passenger that fled and was given the name of a known suspect, 34, and they stated he fled because he had warrants for his arrest.
When other officers arrived, the occupants were told to get out and Wharton noted in plain view an empty syringe inside the door panel and a purple bag on the passenger floor that contained a clear plastic bag with other baggies inside and some gloves.
Chewning stated the bag belonged to her. Then the deputy located a green purse on the driver’s side floorboard which contained a syringe loaded with a red-colored substance that later field tested positive for meth.
He then located another used syringe behind the driver’s side of the bench seat. In the bed of the pickup, he found a blueand-white backpack which contained 10 syringes and a sealed plastic bag with 2.9 ounces of a white powder that later tested positive for amphetamines.
All three were taken into custody and taken to the detention center where agents with the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force assisted in the investigation.
Green reportedly gave a written statement that the green purse and blue-andwhite backpack were in her possession and did not belong to anyone else in the vehicle.
In addition to the felony charge, Clift was cited for having no license plate light and having fictitious tags. Warrants were being sought for the suspect who fled for misdemeanor fleeing and felony possession of drug paraphernalia.
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In an unrelated incident, a Pearcy man arrested on a warrant Monday morning was allegedly found to be in possession of narcotics and charged.
Lonnie Michael Davidson, 37, who lists an address of 100 Birdie Lane, was taken into custody at the Garland County Court House shortly before 10:30 a.m. on a felony warrant for theft by receiving, punishable by up to six years in prison.
After he was arrested by GCSD Deputy Kevin Haws, Davidson was patted down and seven Methadone pills a schedule II narcotic, were found inside a cigarette pack in his pocket,
The pills were identified by the serial numbers through Drugs.com, and he was subsequently charged with possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and-or a $1,000 fine.
His total bond on all charges was $4,500 and Davidson remained in custody Wednesday with an additional hold on him from Hot Spring County. He is set to appear July 24 in district court.
