DEES: Citizens’ aid resulted in robbery arrest

Andy Lee Jr., commander of the gang suppression unit. Lee said when he and deputies arrived at the residence on It’ll Do Road Dees “tried to bale out the back door.”

“I chased him about 50 yards or so, then caught him,” Lee said, adding that Dee’s wife, Valerie White, was arrested for hindering apprehension because she said Dees was not there. In addition, Dees was charged with seconddegree endangering the welfare of a minor, fleeing by vehicle, fleeing on foot, misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, felony possession of a controlled substance Schedule I, II; possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of drug paraphernalia in course/furtherance of felony drug violation. Dees was also served with warrants from Washington County theft by receiving, fraudulent use of a credit/ debit card and felony theft of property; Siloam Springs warrants for third degree battery and felony commercial burglary; instate felony parole violation.

Lee said the endangerment charge was because Dees’ 16-year-old stepson was in the residence.

“I want to thank the Benton County Sheriff’s Department and the citizens who responded to our press release for information,” Pea Ridge Police Chief Tim Ledbetter. “With the help of our citizens, we were able to identify and obtain warrants for this individual.”

According to the probable cause affadavit, a man approached the counter, asked for food from the deli and placed money on the counter. While the clerk’s back was turned, the man “walked around the ... counter, ducked down low, then reached around the wall and took three cartons of Marlboro Red 72 cigarettes from behind the counter where the cigarettes are stored.”

An employee witnessed the event taking place and came out front where he asked the man if he had anything under his sweatshirt, according to the affadavit. The man said no and began to leave. The suspect and employee struggled briefly before the suspect ran from the store and got into the back seat of a vehicle which left “at a high rate of speed,” according to the affadavit.

“We had developed a photo of our suspect and were attempting to get that identified,” Ledbetter said, adding that information was provided to the police after that photograph was printed in the Feb.13 edition of The TIMES.

Dees was still in the Benton County Jail Tuesday in lieu of $56,000 in bonds.