Local man sentenced to prison for arson
A local man who deliberately burned down a house last year and later threatened a Hot Springs police officer was sentenced to five years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to felony charges in Garland County
Circuit Court.
Terry Wayne
Tindall, 55, who has remained in custody since his arrest Sept. 27,
2016, on zero bond, pleaded guilty to arson and first-degree terroristic threatening and was sentenced to five years in prison on each count, to run concurrently.
While court costs were expunged for time served since his arrest, Tindall will have to pay a civil judgment for the damages to the house to be determined at a later hearing.
According to the arrest affidavit, on Sept. 27, 2016, Hot Springs police Sgt. Dino Lenox was traveling in the 300 block of Crescent Avenue around 1:50 p.m. when he saw Tindall sitting on the porch of 336 Crescent Ave. Lenox recognized Tindall, and was aware he had been involved in a disturbance with a female two days earlier.
While turning around on Crescent Avenue to head back in his direction, Lenox saw Tindall running away from the residence and noticed a fire in the corner of the front porch where he had previously been sitting.
Lenox caught up to Tindall and asked him if he started the fire. Tindall said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” and attempted to flee on foot.
Tindall was taken into custody at the intersection of Ash and Pleasant streets. The Hot Springs Fire Department responded to the residence at
2 p.m. and extinguished the flames about 90 minutes later.
Hot Springs Fire Marshal Tom Braughton said the house was a total loss, with an estimated value of $20,800.
During an interview at the police department’s Criminal Investigation Division, Tindall became irate and yelled several times at Lenox, saying “he would burn his (Lenox’s) house
down” and threatened to cause physical harm to Lenox and his family.
Tindall was initially charged with a class A felony count of arson, punishable by up to 30 years in prison, but the charge was later amended to a class B, punishable by up to 20 years.