Homeless man arrested after allegedly taking antique car, fighting with police
A homeless man caught driving an antique car stolen from a local restaurant was arrested late Sunday after briefly fighting with Hot Springs police officers.
Edward Ygnacio “Diamond” Garcia, 28, who lists his address as “city streets,” was taken into custody around 10 p.m. and charged with a felony count of theft by property over $5,000, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest.
Garcia was being held on $ 4,250 bond and was set to appear Monday in Garland County District Court. Garcia was previously arrested on Friday for a
misdemeanor count of theft of property and on Nov. 27 for a misdemeanor count of criminal trespass and was set to be arraigned on those charges as well on Monday in district court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, around 9: 45 p. m. Sunday, Officer William Stockwell responded to the 1200 block of Malvern Avenue regarding a vehicle stalled in the road.
He located a brown 1962 Chevy Bel Air stalled in the roadway and saw a man, later identified as Garcia, in the driver’s seat. Garcia told him the car ran out of gas and then he got out and started walking down the sidewalk, leaving the vehicle in the road, and Stockwell noted he was barefoot and it was snowing at the time.
Stockwell noted the Bel Air was normally parked at Taco Mama, 1209 Malvern, and Garcia could not provide any proof of ownership for the vehicle. Based on that and his demeanor, Stockwell attempted to detain Garcia but he pulled away and continued walking.
Other officers arrived at the scene and tried to detain Garcia, who allegedly began to struggle with them and “kept pulling away.” He was finally detained and Stockwell made contact with the owner of Taco Mama who confirmed the Bel Air, valued at $9,000, belonged to him and Garcia did not have permission to take it.
After he was read his rights, Garcia allegedly told police he “started the car just by asking the car to start.”