Trailer park owner facing new counts
HOT SPRINGS — The owner of a local trailer park arrested this month after a two-hour standoff with police faces multiple additional felony charges after a search uncovered 17 guns, half a pound of marijuana and more than $49,000 in cash in his residence.
John David Barron, 57, was arrested shortly after 7:30 p.m. Thursday at his Timbercrest RV and Mobile Home Park residence on a felony warrant of first-degree terroristic threatening based on allegations he threatened to shoot his former girlfriend.
He was later released on $2,500 bond and is scheduled to appear July 31 in Garland County District Court.
Additional felony charges of simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms; maintaining a drug premises; and possession of a controlled substance, marijuana, with purpose to deliver, were filed against him Tuesday, stemming from the search.
Barron was free on $25,000 bond after his arrest the night of July 9 on a felony charge of first-degree terroristic threatening after making threats to shoot police officers who responded to Timbercrest after Barron’s neighbors said he was threatening people and being disorderly, according to the probable cause affidavit.
As officers attempted to make contact with Barron at his residence, he “became upset and threatened to shoot the officers’ eyes out” and at one point entered his residence and fired several rounds from an unknown weapon, the affidavit said.
The department’s SWAT team and crisis negotiators were called to the scene and used several negotiation tactics over the course of the next two hours, Cpl. Joey Williams said.
Barron entered and exited his house multiple times with the rifle and pistol during the standoff, but he did not raise his weapons toward officers, Williams said.
When Barron exited the residence again, SWAT team members fired a “less than lethal impact round” at Barron and simultaneously released a police dog, authorities said. A brief struggle followed, and Barron was taken into custody without further incident.
Detectives obtained and executed a search warrant the next morning on Barron’s residence and found 17 firearms “laid all throughout the residence,” multiple rounds of ammunition, multiple bags and containers of marijuana, approximately half a pound, and $49,639 in cash, according to police.
The affidavit notes Barron is the owner of Timber Crest Corp., which is listed as the property owner of the mobile home park and Barron’s residence at 3921 Central Ave.
Barron’s attorney, Clay Janske, said the additional terroristic threatening charge that prompted Barron’s arrest on Thursday stemmed from allegations that Barron’s ex-girlfriend “suddenly decided to file against him” after his arrest on the other charges.
The ex-girlfriend filed a complaint about the incident and requested an order of protection against Barron on July 13. That request was granted Monday. A warrant for Barron’s arrest on the new terroristic-threatening charge was issued Wednesday, and he was arrested Thursday.