Two suspects arrested in attack, robbery of elderly FCity resident
Victim hospitalized with head wound
An elderly Forrest City woman is hospitalized after being pistolwhipped and robbed inside her home on Mississippi Street early Wednesday morning.
Two of the four suspects police have identified in the case have been arrested, with the Forrest City Police Department warning the other two suspects to turn themselves in.
According to a press release issued by the FCPD, after being attacked, the victim drove herself to the police department where about 6:38 a.m., officers were “alerted” to the back door and found her with injuries to her head.
The victim told police she had been robbed and beaten with handguns inside her home in the 500 block of Mississippi Street. The FCPD said out of respect to the victim, they are not releasing her name at this time.
The woman was able to provide officers with a description of the suspects, and as she was being transported by ambulance to Forrest City Medical Center, officers were en route to her home. Police reported that due to the seriousness of the victim’s injuries, she was transferred to another hospital due to apparent bleeding on the brain caused by blunt force trauma.
Police were able to identify suspects in the case based on previous incidents in the area.
“Thanks to advances in technology, detectives could immediately access camera systems and trace the suspects’ whereabouts,” said FCPD Chief Deon Lee. “From this information that was received, detectives applied for and were granted search warrants by a First Judicial District Magistrate.”
About 2 p.m., officers executed three search warrants, simultaneously, at 835 and 836 Woodale and on a white Dodge Charger belonging to Felipe Bradley, 29, of Forrest City.
“The searches produced fruits of the crime,” said Lee. “The victim’s property, including her driver’s license, were located inside a residence, and clothing used during the burglary was located inside the vehicle.”
While executing the warrants, police arrested Bradley and Markie Childers, 19, without incident.
Bradley is facing felony charges of accomplice to aggravated residential burglary, accomplice to theft by force, engaging in violent criminal group activity (enhancement charge) and theft by receiving, along with a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Childers is facing charges of accomplice to aggravated residential burglary, engaging in violent criminal group activity (enhancement charge) and a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Lee said two more arrests are pending and that officers are on “high alert” in their search for the suspects.
“We are deeply saddened by these events,” said Lee. “We would ask that media outlets that obtain the victim’s information to please respect her privacy as she is trying to heal.”
Lee continued, “We should cherish the older people in our area as pillars of the community, not look at them as easy criminal targets. However, if this is your intent, we will immediately work toward putting you behind bars.
Lee also acknowledged the officers who worked the case.
“I would like to thank the officers and detectives who worked tirelessly into the night to make arrests and continue searching for the other two suspects,” said Lee. “As a message to the remaining two suspects, you know who you are and it is in your best interest to turn yourself in because there is no place that you can hide that law enforcement from across this great nation cannot find you. We will extradite you back to the State of Arkansas to face these charges no matter how far you run.”