Alleged Pizza Hut robber arrested; another faces car theft charges
EL DORADO — Two people facing felony charges totaling $25,000 each made their first court appearances on Monday with 35th District Court Judge Jack Barker presiding. One man is allegedly the suspect who robbed a local Pizza Hut at gunpoint on April 24; another man allegedly stole a vehicle. Their cases are isolated incidents.
Markeitheon Turner, 18, of El Dorado, was arrested Saturday in connection with robbing an employee of a Pizza Hut, located at 337 W. Hillsboro St., at gunpoint and fleeing with a lump sum of cash, according to the El Dorado Police Department.
An employee told officers that an unknown man ordered a pizza and tried paying for it with a $100 bill. The employee said she couldn’t make change for a bill that size, so the man walked outside, returned minutes later and waited in line with other customers.
At the register, the man revealed a silver, snub-nosed revolver from the right pocket of his hoodie and asked for “all the money from the cash register,” the employee said. The employee complied with the suspect’s demands and he exited the west door of the business with a cash sum of $50-, $20-, $10-, and $5-bills, police said.
At Union County jail, May 1, Turner told authorities that he spent the money already and threw the revolver in a drainage ditch while fleeing from Pizza Hut, according to the report.
In court, Turner was charged initially with theft of property and faced a $5,000 bond, cash or corporate surety. After further review, Barker, State Prosecutor Greg Thomas and Det. Angela Means of the El Dorado Police Department, agreed there were sufficient facts and evidence to charge Turner with aggravated robbery.
He is being held in lieu of a $25,000 bond, cash or corporate surety.
Robert L. Thurmon, 39, of 256 Patrick Lane, was arrested Sunday in connection with various drug possession charges and allegedly stealing a motor vehicle.
According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, deputies pulled over a vehicle traveling northbound on N. Wyatt Dr. They pursued the car down Myrtle Grove Road, Shady Grove Road and onto Smackover Highway, where deputies found the vehicle with lights turned off in a local florist shop
When deputies pulled up behind the vehicle, a silver 2005 Cadillac with a Texas license plate, the driver jumped out of the car and ducked down in front of the car, according to the report.
Deputies said they searched the driver and found a knife on his person, along with traces of solid and liquid forms of methamphetamine, marijuana and 10-15 syringes inside the vehicle.
Upon further investigation, deputies suspected that his vehicle was reported stolen and found he had active warrants for his arrest from the El Dorado Police Department.
He is facing the following charges: possession of a controlled substance – methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance – marijuana, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, theft of property – motor vehicle, obstructing governmental operations; and failure to appear in court for driving with a suspended driver’s license and speeding.
In court, Thurmon said he didn’t understand why he was being charged with theft of a motor vehicle.
“It’s a rental car,” he said. “I lost my job for it and it’s 20 days late.”
Barker said Thurmon should address that concern with his attorney.
“How can they even charge me?” Thurmon continued. “I paid the fee.”
He is being held in lieu of two bonds — $10,000 for the drug charges and $15,000 for theft of property — totaling $25,000, cash or corporate surety. He pled guilty to driving with a suspended license and speeding.
Both cases are bound to circuit court for further proceedings and while active they are confined to a curfew, limited by no-contact orders, and restricted from alcohol, firearms and non-prescription drugs.