Man arrested for burglary, theft
A reportedly homeless man was arrested early Tuesday on felony charges after allegedly using a brick to enter a local business and attempting to remove over $7,000 of merchandise in a trashcan.
Anthony Dwayne White, 34, who lists no current address, was taken into custody around 1:30 a.m. and charged with commercial burglary and theft of property more than $5,000, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison and first-degree criminal mischief, punishable by up to six years.
White remained in custody Tuesday on $9,500 bond and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Hot Springs police responded to Rent-A-Center, 1312 Central Ave. in reference to an alarm and arrived to find shattered glass on the front entry door, with damages estimated at $500.
While setting up a perimeter, officers observed a man, later identified as White, exiting the side door of the business pushing a trash can on a dolly.
The trashcan reportedly contained six PlayStation game consoles, eight laptop computers, two tablets, one iPad and four gaming controllers, with a total estimated value of $7,100.
White initially claimed he worked at the business next door, but then officers observed glass and blood on White’s arms and shirt and took him into custody without incident.
In an interview, White reportedly said he rode his bike to Rent-A-Center carrying two cans of beer. He said he used a brick to enter the business and removed laptops from the display cases, causing damage to some of the laptops.
He told officers he got a green trash can and filled it with PlayStation 4s and laptops and estimated the items were valued around $4,000-$5,000. White said he attempted to get entry into the business’s safe, but was unsuccessful.