Woman charged with allegedly helping felon flee
A local woman is facing felony charges after she allegedly helped a felon who was fleeing from Garland County sheriff’s deputies and a bonding company escape Friday morning.
Amanda Faye Gaston, 32, who lists a Timberlake Drive address, was taken into custody shortly before 11:30 a.m. Friday and charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. She was later also charged with furnishing prohibited articles into jail, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and a misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance, marijuana, after drugs were found on her at the jail.
Gaston was being held on a $9,500 bond and was set to appear Monday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, around 11 a.m. Friday, Garland County sheriff’s Deputy Darrell Harmon, Sgt. Bill House and Cpl. Scott Hinojosa responded to the 5400 block of Central Avenue to assist a local bonding company in the apprehension of Brandon Lloyd Huggs, 36, of Hot Springs, who was being sought on warrants for residential burglary and failure to appear.
Prior to the deputies’ arrival, the bondsman said Huggs had fled the area in a black Dodge pickup headed out Amity Road and that a woman was driving the truck.
The bondsman was following the vehicle and continued to
trail it until it reached the 1500 block of Timberlake Drive.
House and Harmon arrived and were told Huggs had fled on foot and jumped into the lake near 1581 Timberlake. He reportedly swam to the other side with a firearm in his hand and could not be located.
Harmon was told the woman who had been driving was down the driveway near the truck. He made contact with the woman, identified as Gaston, who reportedly admitted she was driving earlier so she was taken into custody.
During an interview with investigators later, Gaston allegedly admitted to “fully knowing” Huggs had felony warrants so she was charged with hindering apprehension.
The affidavit notes the charge was a C felony, punishable by up to 10 years, because Huggs was wanted for residential burglary, a B felony punishable by up to 20 years, at the time she helped him flee.
According to court records, Huggs was convicted of two counts of residential burglary on June 18, 2013, in Garland County and sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was later paroled. On May 9, 2017, he was convicted of possession of a firearm by certain persons and sentenced to six years in prison, but later paroled.
On June 27, 2020, he was arrested for theft by receiving and pleaded not guilty on Aug. 24, 2020. He was released on bond, but on Jan. 25, 2021, he reportedly failed to appear for a hearing in the case and a warrant was issued for his arrest. A bond forfeiture hearing is set for March 29.