Man arrested after allegedly breaking into motel room
A Hot Springs man was arrested Friday morning on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after allegedly entering another guest’s room at a local motel and stealing property.
Phillip Jason Mathis,
46, who lists an Oriole Street address, was taken into custody around 11 a.m. at the Economy Inn, 805 E. Grand Ave., and charged with felony counts of residential burglary, punishable by up to
20 years in prison, and five counts of theft by receiving, punishable by up to six years, and misdemeanor counts of theft of property under $1,000 and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Mathis was being held on $19,500 bond and also had a $175,000 bond hold on him out of Washington County. He was set to appear Monday afternoon in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly before 10 a.m. Friday, a man and woman reported a burglary at the Economy Inn and told Hot Springs police someone had entered their room while they were away between 9:20 and 9:50 a.m. and stole their belongings.
The man stated he had left a room key inside a book outside the door for his companion in case she arrived back at the room before him.
Officers Brandon McAdoo and Jason Greene made contact with motel management and were able to view surveillance video from the hallway. They saw the occupant of an adjacent room, identified as Mathis, walk by and pick up the book outside the room and take it into his room.
Mathis allegedly came back out a few minutes later and went to the door of the victims’ room. He hesitated briefly, but then entered and moments later walked out with the victims’ bags and went back into his room.
Officers made contact with Mathis in his room and he allegedly admitted to taking the bags and showed them where they were under his bed. A woman, Rebecca Ann Echols, 34, was in the room with Mathis and allegedly in possession of some of the female victim’s clothing so she was arrested, too.
Echols, who listed the motel room as her address, was charged with a misdemeanor count of theft by receiving. She remained in custody Monday in lieu of $1,000 bond and also appeared in district court.
In searching Mathis, officers also allegedly located a glass meth pipe and numerous ID and credit cards belonging to another woman that had been reported stolen earlier.