Homeless man arrested for driving allegedly stolen car
A reportedly homeless man was arrested early Sunday on felony and misdemeanor charges after he was caught driving an allegedly stolen vehicle, and then lied about his identity.
Charles David Benson, 52, who lists “city streets” as his address, was taken into custody shortly before 8: 30 a. m. and charged with a felony count of theft by receiving, punishable by up to six years in prison, and a misdemeanor count of obstructing government operations.
He remained in custody Monday in lieu of $ 3,000 bond and is set to appear July 16 in Garland County District Court.
According to reports, Hot Springs police Officer R. Plyler saw a maroon pickup parked on the side of American Tire and Wheel Inc., 118 Mall St., and saw a white male loading used tires into the truck bed.
Plyler stopped the pickup and made contact with the suspect as he was trying to drive away, and the man identified himself as William Byrd, 64, but the driver’s license he showed the officer was for a Ronald Wayne Byrd, and didn’t look like the suspect.
As Plyler was still trying to identify the suspect, a check on the license plate showed the pickup had been reported stolen in Little Rock, so the suspect was taken into custody.
A debit card in the name of Charles Benson was found in his pocket and he finally admitted that was his true identity, which was later confirmed.
• A Jessieville man, a local man and a juvenile were arrested on drug charges Saturday night after being pulled over for having their headlights and taillights covered up.
Austin Harley Bates, 24, who lists an address of 174 Austin Lane in Jessieville, and Austin Jervan Knox, 23, who lists an address of 638 Third St., and the juvenile were each charged with possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail.
Knox also had a misdemeanor warrant for failure to appear. Knox and Bates were later released and are set to appear July 16 in district court. The Sentinel- Record follows The Associated Press privacy policies and does not publish the names of juvenile offenders, unless they are charged as adults.
According to the reports, around 9: 15 p. m., HSPD Officer First Class K. Hampton made a traffic stop on a black Chevrolet Silverado in the 100 block of Francis Street because the lights were covered with black plastic. The driver, identified as Bates, offered to take the covers off. Hampton then spoke to the passenger, identified as Knox, and asked where they were headed. Knox told him they were going to his apartment at Village Square. Asked why they turned down a side street, Knox admitted, “You were following us, so I told him to turn.”
Asked about warrants or illegal items, Knox initially denied it, but a check revealed the warrant for Knox, who was then taken into custody. While searching him, the officer found he had $ 845 in cash.
Hampton asked Bates if there were any illegal substances in the vehicle and Bates said, “There shouldn’t be.” After getting consent to search, the officer reportedly found a clear plastic bag that contained two smaller baggies of what later tested positive for marijuana, a total of 23 grams.
• A local man was arrested late Friday for driving while intoxicated, third offense, and other charges after he was seen driving erratically by a HSPD
detective.
Adrian Reed Pullen, 40, who lists an address of 119 Carlton Terrace, was taken into custody around 9 p. m. and charged with DWI 3, refusal to submit, failure to yield, no proof of insurance and no seat belt.
He was later released on $ 2,000 bond and is set to appear July 15 in district court.
According to reports, HSPD detective P. Allen was parked in an unmarked unit in the 200 block of Park and saw a brown Chevrolet pickup northbound on Park turn left suddenly onto Carlton Terrace, failing to yield to a southbound vehicle whose driver had to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision.
A minute later, the pickup came back down Charlton, crossed both lanes of traffic and then parked in the lot about 20 feet in front of the detectives. Allen turned on his lights, got out and identified himself as a police officer. He learned from dispatch the vehicle was possibly involved in an earlier disturbance and the driver was possibly intoxicated.
He made contact with the driver, Pullen, and noted a strong odor of intoxicants and that he had red, watery eyes, slurred speech and was unsteady on his feet. When asked if he had been drinking, Pullen allegedly said, “I been drinking all day but I have only had a couple, maybe three or four, lately.”
He refused to submit to any field sobriety tests, a breathalyzer or to sign any paperwork. Records revealed he was previously arrested for DWI on July 19, 2008, and July 23, 2009.
In an unrelated incident around 2 a. m. Saturday, a North Little Rock man was charged with DWI and refusal to submit after he was seen driving in the 4500 block of Central with no headlights on.
Derek Thomas Phillips, 44, was pulled over after about four blocks by HSPD Officer R. Plyler, who noted a strong odor of intoxicants on his breath. The officer reportedly saw two open bottles of whiskey in the passenger seat and an empty can of beer in the console.
The officer administered three field sobriety tests, which Phillips reportedly failed, and then he refused to take a breathalyzer test, noting his father was a judge in Texarkana and had advised him to always refuse the breath test.
Shortly after 2 a. m. Sunday, a Mayflower woman was arrested for DWI, second offense, after she was seen driving erratically on Albert Pike, drifting between lanes and varying her speed “abnormally.”
HSPD Officer P. Defoor followed her as she turned onto Summer to Hobson Avenue to Third Street to Grand Avenue and finally onto Ouachita, continuing to drive at varying speeds and only using a turn signal once.
He pulled her over finally and noted an odor of intoxicants on her breath and that she had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. She submitted to three field sobriety tests, which she failed, and then a breathalyzer registered her blood- alcohol at 0.17 percent, more than twice the legal limit.
While being booked, she reportedly said, “I’m guilty.” It was discovered she was previously convicted of DWI on Oct. 19, 2010.
• A local man was arrested Friday on a misdemeanor warrant stemming from an alleged attack on his estranged wife last month.
Kevin Michael Hood, 27, of 104 Beatrice Lane, was taken into custody shortly before 3: 30 p. m. at his residence on a charge of third- degree domestic battery, punishable by up to one year in jail. He was initially held without bond, but later released and is set to appear July 16 in district court.
According to the affidavit, on June 28, HSPD Officer C. Ford responded to the emergency room at National Park Medical Center where the victim was being treated. She stated that earlier that day she and her husband, identified as Hood, got into an altercation.
She said she was at the residence gathering some of her belongings to leave when he began yelling and cursing at her and then started kicking her in the right leg multiple times.
Ford noted he could see bruising to the victim’s right leg, shin and right arm.
In an unrelated case, a local man was arrested late Friday for third- degree domestic battery for allegedly attacking a Maumelle woman.
Michael Scott Dinger, 46, of 118 Garden Gate St., was taken into custody at his residence shortly after 10: 30 p. m. on the charge and later released on $ 1,000 bond. He is set to appear July 16 in district court.
According to reports, HSPD Officer A. Halpin responded to the residence regarding a disturbance and spoke to the victim who alleged Dinger had injured her head, stomach and arms.
She stated he had slapped and punched her repeatedly and the officer noted she had redness, swelling and bruising around her eyes. She said they had started arguing on their way back from the lake.
The report did not indicate the relationship between Dinger and the victim.