Man, woman trespassing in abandoned building arrested on felony drug charges
A homeless man and local woman initially arrested for allegedly trespassing in an abandoned building on Park Avenue were soon facing felony charges after drugs were reportedly found in their possession.
Timothy Lee Winters, 30, who lists “city streets” as his address, and Tonya Lorraine Looper, 42, who lists a Glade Street address, were both taken into custody at 1100 Park Ave., an abandoned, “unoccupiable” building they had both been previously banned from and charged with a misdemeanor count of criminal trespassing.
Winters was also charged with a felony count of possession of a controlled substance, meth, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and Looper was charged with a felony count of possession of a controlled substance, meth, punishable by up to six years, and misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana and public intoxication.
Both appeared Friday in Garland County District Court and pleaded not guilty to the charges with a felony review hearing set for April 7. Court orders were also issued to both of them barring them from contact with the building at 1100 Park. Winters remained in custody Tuesday on a $10,000 bond and Looper was being held on zero bond.
According to court records, Winters was convicted on March 31, 2022, of four count of first-degree terroristic threatening and sentenced to five years’ supervised probation. Looper was convicted on April 19, 2022, in Pulaski County of first-degree terroristic threatening and sentenced to four years’ supervised probation and on the same charge in 2016 and sentenced to five years’ supervised probation.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly before 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Hot Springs police Officer Donaldo Tobar and Cpl. Randy Rodgers responded to the building on Park regarding people trespassing.
They made contact with Tim McKenna of Hot Springs Neighborhood Services, who stated he had seen a man and woman, later identified as Winters and Looper, on the third floor of the building he noted was “unoccupiable.”
McKenna said both suspects had left just as police arrived, so officers began canvassing the area and located them in the 880 block of Park. McKenna arrived and identified them as the two he had seen and noted the owner of the building, 39, wanted to press charges. A dispatcher advised Winters and Looper had been previously banned from the property.
Both were taken into custody at that point and it was noted Looper had an open beer can with alcohol inside.
In searching them, Rodgers allegedly found a used syringe in Winters’ waistband. In searching his bag, officers reportedly found three clear baggies with a total of 13 grams of what later tested positive for meth.
In searching Looper, Tobar reportedly found a crystal rock of what later tested positive for meth, approximately 0.9 grams, in a folded-up paper inside her purse. He also reportedly found 4.9 grams of marijuana.