Two held in death of officer
BENTONVILLE — Local circuit judges ordered two people arrested in connection with the killing of a Pea Ridge police officer Saturday to be held without bond Monday.
Elijah Andazola, 18, of Bella Vista and Shawna Cash, 22, of Pine Bluff were arrested Saturday in connection with capital murder. Prosecutors have not filed any formal charges against the pair.
Cash and Andazola were arrested in Bella Vista by Benton County Sheriff’s deputies. Both are being held in the Benton County Jail.
Judge Robin Green held a bond hearing Monday morning for Andazola and issued the no-bond order. The hearing was conducted via video conferencing, so Andazola remained at the jail instead of being in the courtroom. Andazola’s arraignment is scheduled for 8 a.m. Aug. 2.
In a separate hearing, Judge Brad Karren ordered Cash be held without bond. Cash appeared in person in Karren’s courtroom for the hearing. Her arraignment is set for July 26.
Karren also issued a gag order in Cash’s case, meaning prosecutors, police and defense attorneys are prohibited from speaking publicly on the matter. Green did not issue such an order.
Cash and Andazola are accused
of killing Pea Ridge police Officer Kevin Apple on Saturday, June 26, in Pea Ridge.
Apple and Officer Brian Stamps heard the call about 11:30 a.m. Saturday to be on the lookout for an older model blue Jeep fleeing from Rogers police. They saw the Jeep at the White Oak station about 12:09 p.m., according to Lt. Michael Lisenbee, public affairs officer for the department.
They parked on both ends of the Jeep, which was parked at the gas pumps and attempted to make contact with the occupants, Lisenbee said.
An altercation erupted, Lisenbee said. The Jeep rammed one of the Pea Ridge police vehicles, then drove over Apple, dragging him, then fled heading west on Slack Street (Arkansas Highway 72). Stamps fired at the Jeep.
Some of Apple’s family members and Pea Ridge police officers were in court for Andazola’s bond hearing.
Cash, 22, in being held in connection with capital murder or attempted capital murder; driving with suspended/revoked license; two failure to stop or yield; reckless driving; theft of property; flight - escape (fleeing vehicle or conveyance); second degree criminal mischief, recklessly damages/destroys; driving left of center; failure to signal; drove left of center; three failure to yield vehicle overtake on left; speeding; improper use of registration; driving with suspended/revoked license; first degree reckless driving; fleeing on foot; felony fleeing; three aggravated assault; reckless driving; obstructing governmental operations; two first degree criminal mischief; failure to stop after accident with death; felony fleeing; escape/ uses physical force; two aggravated assault; possession controlled substance Sch. 1, 2 meth/ cocaine; and failure to appear from Benton County.
Andazola is being held in connection with refusal to submit to arrest; flightescape (fleeing on foot); and capital murder or attempted capital murder.
Cash, who is shown to have a Pine Bluff address, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 36 months of supervised probation in December 2018 in Washington County Circuit Court on a drug possession charge, according to online court records. She pleaded guilty again in January 2019 in Benton County Circuit Court to a drug possession charge and was sentenced to 72 months of probation. She pleaded guilty later that year in Benton County to burglary and theft of property and received 96 months of probation. In December 2019, Cash was arrested again in Benton County on a drug possession charge. A warrant for her arrest was issued in September 2020 for failure to appear on the drug charge. She was charged in January 2020 in Washington County with theft of property and credit card fraud. In January and again in February of this year, she was charged in Washington County with theft by receiving.