Two men shot after forcing way into motel room
Two local men were shot, one critically, late Tuesday night after they and two others allegedly forced their way into a Texas couple’s motel room.
Brandon Folsom, 30, of Hot Springs, was in critical condition Wednesday at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs, Hot Springs police said in a news release. Police said the second suspect who was shot, Bobby Jack Smith, 29, of Hot Springs Village, was in good condition at St. Vincent.
A third suspect, Jakota Rustin Clay, 29, who lists a Holly Street address, was arrested around
11:30 p.m. after a foot pursuit by Hot Springs police. The fourth suspect, Autumn Dean Polston,
26, who lists a Glade Street address, was arrested shortly after midnight at St. Vincent where she had gone with Folsom.
Clay and Polston were each charged with a felony count of aggravated residential burglary, punishable by up to life in prison, and a misdemeanor count of third-degree battery, punishable by up to one year in jail. They were being held on zero bond and are set to appear May 23 in Garland County District Court.
The release states Folsom and
Smith will be arrested on the same charges once they are released from the hospital.
The four suspects allegedly forced their way into a room at the Econo Lodge, 1204 Central Ave., occupied by a man, 59, and his wife, 58, both of Newark, Texas, and knocked the male victim down. He had answered the door armed with a handgun and fired one shot, which struck Folsom in the torso. The bullet reportedly exited Folsom’s body and struck Smith in the area of his upper chest and shoulder.
According to the affidavit, shortly before 11:30 p.m., Officer Richard Nunez was in the area of the Econo Lodge looking for a wanted person, identified as Clay, when he saw a group of individuals randomly banging on doors and windows of the rooms. He saw the group enter one room after the occupant opened the door. Then he heard a single gunshot and saw the group “run out of the room.”
Nunez, Cpl. Brandon Jones and his K-9 Keena apprehended Clay a few blocks later after a short foot pursuit. Smith was located near the 400 block of West Grand and transported by LifeNet to St. Vincent.
A few minutes later,
Nunez learned Folsom and Polston had gone to
St. Vincent by private vehicle, a red Nissan driven by Monica Crawford, who was not charged in the incident.
Police spoke to the male victim who stated he and his wife heard banging on their room door. Not knowing who it could be, he answered the door with his .22-caliber derringer-style handgun.
He said that, as he opened the door, Folsom hit him in the face, causing him to fall backward. He said he fired one shot that struck Folsom, causing him to double over, and then all three men fled the room, leaving Polston standing there. He said moments later Polston was pulled from the room by another female, later identified as Crawford.
In an interview with Detective Jarrett Cantrell, Polston claimed she was robbed a few days ago by an unidentified subject who she believed was staying in the room occupied by the victims. She said she, Clay, Folsom and Smith left her room at the motel and walked over to the victims’ room to confront and “beat the a - - ” of the person who robbed her.
She said one of the men knocked on the door and when the male victim answered one of the men hit him. She said she then heard a gunshot and fled. She said she recalled looking back and seeing a white male pointing a gun at her and then saw Folsom with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his abdomen.
Clay was interviewed and reportedly denied having any knowledge of the incident.