Man arrested after allegedly crashing stolen motorcycle
A Hot Springs man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly stealing a motorcycle and crashing it while driving under the influence.
Dalton Levi Gonzales, 23, who lists a Black Street address, was taken into custody around noon Tuesday and charged with felony counts of theft by receiving, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and leaving the scene of an injury accident, and second-degree criminal mischief, punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of driving while intoxicated, first offense.
Gonzales remained in custody on a $9,500 bond and was set to appear Wednesday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, at around 7 a.m. Tuesday Arkansas State Police Trooper Lukas Tankersley was dispatched to a motorcycle crash on the Highway 70 east off-ramp of the King Expressway.
Tankersley found a motorcycle that appeared to have been wrecked in a ditch but could not locate a driver.
He called both local hospitals to see if a patient had been admitted from a motorcycle wreck and was told no one had come in with injuries consistent with a motorcycle crash.
At around 9 a.m., a dispatcher told Tankersley that a man had arrived at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs who said he had been in a motorcycle crash. Tankersley went to the hospital and spoke with Gonzales, who reportedly claimed he was involved with a different wreck on Davis Street.
Hot Springs police checked the area of Davis Street for a sign of a crash, but there was none.
While speaking with Gonzales, Tankersley noted he had slurred speech and dilated pupils, but Gonzales denied having taken anything.
Gonzales reportedly admitted he had been riding the motorcycle Tankersley had found and believed it was stolen.
The owner of the motorcycle told police he had recently sold it to a former roommate, but it was gone the next morning before he picked it up.
Tankersley talked to the former roommate who said no one had permission to take the motorcycle and he wanted to press charges against Gonzales.
After Gonzales was released from the hospital, he was transported to the Garland County Detention Center where he submitted to multiple field sobriety tests and reportedly failed them.
In addition to the other charges, Gonzales was cited for no liability insurance, obstructing governmental operations, driving on a suspended driver’s license, driving a vehicle with no or expired tags and careless and prohibited driving.