Man arrested on burglary charge after police spot him in the area
A local man on probation who was reportedly captured on security video breaking into an apartment was arrested by Hot Springs police Friday morning after they spotted him in the area while talking with the victim.
Dustin James Turner, 35, who lists a Morrison Avenue address, was taken into custody shortly before 8:30 a.m. and charged with a felony count of residential burglary, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and a misdemeanor count of theft of property, punishable by up to one year in jail, and also had a warrant for failure to comply.
Turner was being held on an $8,500 bond and was set to appear Monday in Garland County District Court. According to court records, Turner lists no prior felony history, but had pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor theft of property charge on Jan. 31 and was sentenced to one year of probation.
According to the probable cause affidavit, around 8:15 a.m. Friday, HSPD Officer 1st Class Tyler Barrett responded to a residence in the 400 block of Albert Pike Road regarding a burglary that had already occurred.
He spoke to the victim, who stated shortly after 8 a.m. he was driving behind his apartment when he noticed his blue and gray Nitro jacket on the ground near the basement window of his apartment. He approached and noticed the chicken wire covering the window was “pulled back.”
He then noticed a black mesh bag in the windowsill which had a coffee maker belonging to him in it. He told police the bag did not belong to him.
Officers cleared the apartment and then the victim noticed his black storage box was on the ground opened and his black motorcycle jacket, valued at $150, black leather pants, valued at $140, and ski pants, valued at $400, were all missing. In checking the rest of the apartment, he also discovered an acoustic guitar, valued at $139, was missing.
The victim showed officers security video that reportedly showed a white male wearing a beanie, black jacket with stripes and black pants entering the apartment shortly after 7 a.m. He was seen walking around inside with a flashlight and “checking boxes” before leaving the apartment through the basement window.
While speaking with the victim, officers spotted Turner, who matched the description of the suspect in the video, near the intersection of Summer and Ira streets and detained him. After a computer check showed the warrant, he was taken into custody and in searching him, “motorcycle clothing” was allegedly found on his person which were identified by the victim.
Detective Jason Crump interviewed Turner at the police department after reading him his rights and he reportedly admitted to forcing his way into the apartment through the basement window and stealing the listed items.