Man arrested in connection with stealing ex-wife’s vehicle

Jack Berry, 53, of Siloam Springs was arrested in connection with theft of property on March 11.

Berry is accused of stealing his ex-wife Christy Berry’s jeep on Feb. 19, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Officer Scott Gillming of the Siloam Springs Police Department on March 2.

The affidavit states Christy Berry witnessed Jack Berry drive away in her Jeep to the Cherokee Casino in West Siloam Springs, Okla., where she confronted him, according to the affidavit.

Christy Berry said she did not give him permission to take the jeep, the affidavit states. Jack Berry told her he was going to go purchase drugs, the affidavit states.

The affidavit states Christy Berry believed she could not physically stop him from taking her jeep and assumed Jack Berry would bring it back the following day, the affidavit states. When the next day came and the vehicle was not returned, Christy Berry spoke with the West Siloam Springs Police Department to report the theft but did not receive a call back until the following day on Friday, Feb. 21, the affidavit states.

Chief Larry Barnett, of the West Siloam Springs Police Department, said he looked through the police database and was unable to find a report for this incident.

On Friday, Feb. 21, Christy Berry received a phone call from Jack Berry around 7:30 a.m. when he told her the jeep was destroyed and left in the national forest, the affidavit states. Jack Berry added he ran from authorities and walked to a gas station in Tontitown, the affidavit states.

Christy Berry contacted the Tontitown police to have them arrest Jack Berry for the theft of the jeep, but was told by the officer Jack Berry could not be arrested until the vehicle was reported stolen, the affidavit states. The officer did arrest Jack Berry for the misdemeanor charge of public intoxication, the affidavit states.

During Jack Berry’s detention in Washington County Jail, he made several phone calls to Christy Berry, the affidavit states. Gillming said in the affidavit he was able to obtain recordings of the calls. During the calls, Jack Berry stated he knew he did not have permission to take the vehicle and he messed up, the affidavit states.

On Feb. 27, Gillming interviewed Jack Berry about the jeep. Jack Berry gave a written statement to the police, stating he usually drives the jeep and Christy Berry never told him he could not drive it, the affidavit states. Jack Berry said he left in the jeep from his house to go to the casino where Christy Berry followed him to and tried to continue a previous argument, so he left, the affidavit states.

Jack Berry said he took the jeep out to the national forest to go four wheeling as he had done several times in the past, the affidavit states. On Thursday afternoon, Feb. 20, he got the jeep stuck on a log, the affidavit states. During his attempt to get the jeep dislodged from the log it got hot and caught fire, the affidavit states.

Jack Berry said he left the jeep and walked out to U.S. Highway 412 where he was able to get a ride to the gas station in Tontitown, the affidavit states. Jack Berry said he did not contact anyone to get the jeep out of the woods due to the location, the affidavit states. Jack Berry told Gillming it would take a helicopter to get the jeep out of the woods, the affidavit states.

Jack Berry showed Gillming on Google Maps where the jeep would be found, the affidavit states. As of March 2, the jeep had not been located, the affidavit states.

An arrest warrant was filed for Jack Berry on March 2 for the offenses of theft of property, according to the affidavit.