Two charged with robbery of local store
A Hot Springs woman and a Mountain Pine man were charged Tuesday with robbing a local store, allegedly to trade the merchandise for drugs.
Crystal Lynn Bearden, 35, and Victor Sean Bottorff, 24, were both charged with robbery, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. They remained incustody Wednesday in lieu of a $ 5,000 bond each and are due in Garland County District Court on Aug. 31.
According to a Garland County Sheriff ’ s Department report, a witness said a male and female entered Dollar General, 830 Mountain Pine Road, on Saturday and loaded a shopping cart with merchandise. The witness said the suspects then pushed the cart out of the back door without paying. A store employee attempted to stop the suspects, but the female sprayed him with pepper spray. The suspects then fled the scene in a vehicle.
Investigators reviewed video footage Monday and identified the male suspect as Bottorff. They located him Tuesday at 100 Arcadia St., and he agreed to an interview. According to the affidavit, he stated he and Bearden went to the Dollar General to steal merchandise to trade for drugs and he drove the truck when they fled the scene.
Bearden was also located Tuesday at the Arcadia Street residence and agreed to an interview. She stated she remembered being at a Dollar General during the grand opening of the business and since she was one of the first 50 customers of the store, she received a coupon. According to the affidavit, Bearden also stated she did not remember using pepper spray but did notice a day later her pepper spray was not attached to her key chain. She stated she remembered waking up at a residence wearing a sport jersey Sunday morning. Video footage from the store showed the female suspect wearing a sport jersey.