Restaurant employee is charged with theft of customer’s credit card
A local restaurant worker was arrested Thursday morning on a felony theft charge stemming from allegations she stole a customer’s credit card last week after it was left in the drive-thru.
Amy Nicole Duran, 37, of Hot Springs, was taken into custody at the Hot Springs Police Department shortly before 10:30 a.m. and charged with theft of property over $1,000, punishable by up to six years in prison.
Duran, who has several prior convictions, was later released on a $2,500 bond and is set to appear March 18 in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Saturday, shortly after 12:30 p.m., a woman reported her credit card had been stolen and was being used. She said she last had the card at Burger King, 3545 Central Ave., earlier that day.
Detective Matthew Cheatham reviewed video footage from the restaurant and reportedly observed Duran, who was working the drive-thru window “as a manager,” and saw the victim drive off leaving her card after paying.
Duran could allegedly be seen placing the card into the company safe. At 12:23 p.m. that same day, Duran is allegedly seen returning to the safe, removing the card and “concealing it in her shirt.”
On Thursday, Duran voluntarily came to the police department for an interview and after being read her rights she allegedly admitted to taking the card and placing it in her vehicle. She then contacted a male accomplice and had him pick up the card.
According to court records, on March 2, 2016, Duran pleaded guilty in Clark County Circuit Court to felony counts of breaking or entering and possession of a firearm by certain persons and was sentenced to two years in prison. On March 14, 2018, she pleaded guilty in Garland County District Court to a misdemeanor count of theft of property involving Belk Department Store and was sentenced to one year in jail with all but 30 days suspended.
On June 7, 2018, she pleaded guilty in Garland County to a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia and was sentenced to 90 days in jail.