One held, one injured after home invasion
A local man was reportedly robbed at gunpoint at his home Thursday afternoon by two suspects who fled the scene, leading Garland County sheriff ’s deputies on a high- speed pursuit before crashing into another vehicle.
One suspect, identified as Stephen Jerald Corbett, 27, of Little Rock, was transported by LifeNet to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs due to injuries in the accident. He was treated and released and taken into custody on felony charges of aggravated residential burglary and aggravated robbery, each punishable by up to life in prison, possession of a firearm by certain persons, punishable by up to 20 years, and fleeing in a vehicle, punishable by up to six years.
The second suspect, identified as Jack-
ie Bernard Brandon Jr., 26, of West Helena, suffered substantial injuries and was airlifted to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, where he remained hospitalized on Friday. GCSD Investigator Russ Severns said Friday Brandon would face the same charges as Corbett upon his release.
According to the affidavit, shortly after 4:30 p.m., GCSD Deputies Phil Fisher and Shane Tatum were dispatched to a residence at 156 Honeysuckle Circle, located off Lodge Road, which runs off the 5000 block of Albert Pike, regarding a home invasion burglary in progress.
A witness had called 911 and stated he was watching two black males who were masked and armed with handguns entering the residence that he knew to be occupied by the victim, later identified as Victor Easter, 36, noted they had arrived in a gray Chevrolet Trailblazer pickup, and gave its license plate number.
The witness said he saw the suspects leave the house, get in the pickup and leave the area. The deputies who were westbound on Albert Pike saw the suspect vehicle pass them headed east and turned around to catch it as the vehicle fled at a high rate of speed.
They noted “rush hour traffic was heavy” and the driver of the Trailblazer proceeded recklessly, eventually striking a westbound vehicle in the 3500 block of Albert Pike, causing the suspect vehicle to leave the roadway and overturn.
Both of the suspects were ejected from the vehicle, the report states, and the driver of the other vehicle, identified as Bobby Joe Thomason, was also injured and transported by LifeNet to St. Vincent.
Severns responded to the residence and spoke to Easter, who stated a black male in dreadlocks, later identified as Brandon, who was armed with what appeared to be a .357 revolver, and another black male with short hair, a ski mask and a semi-auto pistol, later identified as Corbett, had entered his home through the front door.
He stated the suspects walked through the living room, down a hallway and into his bedroom where they accosted him, forced him at gunpoint to get on his knees on the floor, and demanded money from him.
Easter said he gave them an undisclosed amount of cash and they demanded more money, but he didn’t have any. At that point, Easter said the one identified as Corbett punched him in the face and then ordered him on the floor.
Corbett duct-taped the victim’s hands behind his back and made him lay there and both men threatened to kill him if he came after them. He said they took the keys to his vehicle, parked in the driveway, and left the house.
Tatum reportedly recovered a large amount of cash, more than what the victim said they took, from Corbett at St. Vincent. The denominations matched what the victim described.
The affidavit notes Corbett was previously convicted of a felony in Pulaski County on Oct. 12, 2007, and Brandon was previously convicted of a felony in Pulaski County on Aug. 20, 2007, resulting in the additional felon in possession charges against them.
Corbett remained in custody Friday in lieu of bonds totaling $500,0000 and is set to appear Dec. 16 in Garland County District Court.