Parolee in alleged stolen vehicle arrested after pursuit by deputy
A local man on parole was arrested on multiple felony charges Saturday after allegedly fleeing from a Garland County sheriff’s deputy in a stolen vehicle shortly after breaking into a residence.
William Michael Davidson, 28, who lists an Akers Road address, was taken into custody around 3:45 p.m. and charged with felony fleeing, theft of property over $1,000 and breaking or entering, each punishable by up to six years in prison, and a misdemeanor count of theft of property under $1,000, punishable by up to one year in jail.
Davidson was being held on an $8,500 bond and was set to appear Monday in Garland County District Court. According to court records, he was convicted in Lonoke County on April 30, 2018, of possession of a controlled substance and sentenced to six years’ supervised probation which was revoked on Sept. 13, 2021, and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, but later paroled.
According to the probable cause affidavit, sheriff’s Deputy Susan Musler was dispatched to a residence in the 6300 block of Albert Pike Road regarding a suspicious vehicle in the driveway reported to the homeowner by a neighbor.
Musler saw the vehicle, a white Ford Ranger, accelerate “with excessive speed onto the roadway” and then travel into oncoming traffic as it sped away.
Musler activated her lights and siren and got behind the truck, which sped up again and continued east on Albert Pike. The truck turned onto Old Bear Road and veered into oncoming traffic again, almost losing control at one point.
The pursuit continued into a small gravel area where the truck “started to sway and slide,” Musler said, before finally coming to a stop at Old Bear and
Papago Road where she ordered the driver, later identified as Davidson, out of the truck.
Davidson got out and allegedly made a spontaneous statement admitting he stole the truck “from a guy named T.J.” and was taken into custody. When asked why he was on the property on Albert Pike, Davidson allegedly said he was “looking for cool stuff to steal.” He also claimed he couldn’t remember where he stole the truck from, but he had taken the keys to the truck and a wallet from a residence somewhere.
Sheriff’s Investigator Charlie Mowery came to process the truck and located some magazines. He later went to the residence on Albert Pike and noted there were signs of forced entry. He spoke to the homeowner, who reportedly confirmed the magazines Mowery found in the truck were missing from the residence.
At the detention center, Mowery interviewed Davidson after reading him his rights and he allegedly admitted to breaking into the residence and stealing three table legs and the magazines. He also admitted to stealing the truck and gave “a general area” of where the truck came from on Woodland Shores Road.
Mowery made contact with a woman in that area who stated a white Ford Ranger belonging to her mother-in-law had been missing for two days. She stated she knew Davidson, but he was never given permission to drive the Ranger by her or her mother-in-law. She also noted the residence had been broken into and the truck keys and a wallet stolen.
JONES