Car’s 4 occupants charged after chase

Four people were arrested early Thursday after a car chase that began near the Big Dam Bridge, police said.

Desare Dean, 19; Sharwin Stuckey, 18; April Johnson, 31; and Balincia Matthews, 18, were all in Johnson’s 2006 Hyundai Sonata when it pulled into a parking lot near the Big Dam Bridge around 1 a.m. Thursday, according to a Little Rock Police Department report.

Vehicle break-ins have been reported in that general area, police said.

Police watched the four while the car was in the parking area and then followed the vehicle “due to the number of incidents” it was linked to, the report said.

Officers tried to stop the Hyundai, which slowed to a stop, then sped up and moved away, at which point officers pursued the car, the report said.

Officers wrote that they chased the Hyundai until it hit a stop sign at 13th and Johnson streets. At that point, the four got out of the car and ran away, the report said.

Dean, the car’s driver, was charged with five counts of theft by receiving, felony fleeing, felony fraudulent use of a credit card, as well as several misdemeanors, the report said.

Stuckey was charged with two counts of breaking and entering, two counts of theft of property, theft by receiving, fraudulent use of a credit card, several misdemeanors and also was wanted on a felony warrant from the Pulaski County sheriff’s office on charges of fraudulent use of a credit card, according to police.

Johnson was charged with two counts of theft by receiving and fleeing. Matthews was charged with fleeing and felony failure to appear, according to the report.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing.