Trespassing complaint leads to man’s arrest on felony drug charge
A complaint about people trespassing outside a local barber shop Wednesday evening resulted in the arrest of a local man on felony and misdemeanor drug charges.
Michael Evan Ross, 29, who lists a Central Avenue address, was taken into custody shortly after 6 p.m. and charged with a felony count of possession of a controlled substance, meth, punishable by up to six years in prison, and misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, and obstructing governmental operations and he had a warrant for failure to appear.
Ross remained in custody Thursday in lieu of a $6,500 bond and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court. According to court records, he lists no prior felony history, but had pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of first-degree criminal mischief on June 13, 2013, and was ordered to pay restitution to the victim.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Hot Springs police Officer 1st Class Shane Lewis responded to a trespassing complaint at Twins Barbershop, 1500 Central Ave.
The owner said there were three people, two males and a female, out behind his business who were not supposed to be there and opened the rear door to point them out to Lewis.
Lewis approached the three and asked one male for his identification so he could ban them from the location and the male initially said his name was “Good Citizen.” He then reportedly said his name was Michael Ross, but refused to provide his date of birth.
Ross was taken into custody and searched and a clear glass pipe was allegedly found in his front pocket which Lewis noted is “known to officers for the use of smoking and ingesting meth.” In another pocket, officers reportedly found a small clear container with two crystals which later tested positive as meth, less than 1 gram.
While being transported to the detention center, Ross was reportedly “very uncooperative” and would “strike his head on the cage” and kicked the doors and cage several times.