Man admits string of crimes, sentenced to 15 years in prison

A Hot Springs man was sentenced to 15 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty in Garland County Circuit Court to multiple felony charges from a string of incidents in March and April 2018.

Joseph Devin Brown, 31, who was set to stand trial this week, pleaded guilty to residential burglary, amended from an original charge of aggravated residential burglary, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison while three additional felony counts of aggravated

assault and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia were withdrawn.

Brown also pleaded guilty to theft by receiving over $5,000 and felony failure to appear and was sentenced to 10 years in prison on each count while an additional felony count of fleeing was withdrawn; and pleaded guilty to breaking or entering and possession of a controlled substance, meth, and sentenced to six years on each count while an additional charge of possession of drug paraphernalia was withdrawn, with all his sentences to run concurrently.

In addition to prison time, he was also ordered to pay a total of $975 in court costs and fees upon his release.

According to the probable cause affidavit for the residential burglary charge, on March 7, 2018, shortly after 7:30 p.m., Hot Springs police Officer Morgan Murray responded to a residence in the 100 block of Parkhill Street to a burglary in progress involving a man with a gun.

Upon arrival, he saw a woman, 44, standing in front of the residence waving her arms. She reportedly confirmed the man with the gun was still on the property. Murray spotted the man, later identified as Brown, in the driveway, but he fled on foot down the driveway toward Maryland Street before the officer could approach him.

Murray pursued Brown on foot but lost him in the area of Garland and Maryland streets. He returned to the residence and spoke to the male resident, 41, and the couple who owned the property, including the woman who flagged him down.

The resident stated he came home around 7:30 p.m. and noticed the front door to his apartment had the glass broken out. He entered and saw a black male wearing a T-shirt and shorts inside. The man pointed a black semi-automatic handgun at him and told him to move to a different room. The resident fled the apartment and called police and his landlord.

The landlord stated he received a call from the resident about the armed intruder and came to the residence with his wife. He said he entered the apartment and saw the armed suspect and noted he pointed the gun at him and “spoke incoherently.” The landlord said he backed out of the apartment and moved away from the door.

The man came out behind the landlord and fled from the building. The wife said she also saw the man as he was leaving and noted he pointed the gun at her, her husband and the resident before fleeing.

While Murray was still processing the scene, Officers Chris Chapin and Shawn Stone responded to a call at the Capri Motel, 1606 Central Ave., and made contact with Brown, who initially gave a false name and date of birth, but finally identified himself as Joseph Brown.

Brown, who had warrants for failure to appear and failure to pay, was taken into custody. During a search, officers found a suspected meth pipe in his possession. The three victims were driven to the scene and all three identified Brown as the one who had broken into the apartment and threatened them with a gun.

According to the affidavit for the possession of meth charge, on March

31, 2018, Brown was trespassing at the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa, 239 Central Ave., refusing to leave and when police came and took him into custody he had a loaded syringe and meth in his possession.

According to the affidavit on the breaking or entering, on April 10, 2018, Brown was caught breaking into a vehicle in the parking lot at 608 E. Grand. He reportedly didn’t take anything, but fled and left his backpack behind which was recovered by police and traced to him.

According to the affidavit on the theft by receiving, on April 13, 2018, around

1 p.m., police spotted Brown driving a stolen 2002 Dodge Ram pickup and attempted to make a traffic stop. He fled and was pursued through numerous city streets before abandoning the vehicle in the front yard of a residence in the 1300 block of Summer Street and fled on foot.

He was apprehended a few minutes later after a short foot pursuit.