TEXARKANA POLICE DEPARTMENT
TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
12/17/04
Cpl. Bart Veal
Public Information Officer
903-798-3187 (office) 903-798-2368 (pager)
903-824-4199 (cell) 903-798-3023 (fax)
Texarkana, Arkansas Police arrested 4 persons in the early morning hours of December 17, charging them with Breaking or Entering / Criminal Mischief / Theft by Receiving / Carrying a Weapon. At approximately 4:30am, officers began investigating a series of vehicle breaking or entering offenses in the Chappel Ridge Apartment area in the 4700 block of County Avenue. At 5:15am, as officers were completing those reports, Sgt. Keith Barr observed a green Toyota Camry in the fleet vehicle fueling depot near E. short 10th & Jefferson. As Sgt. Barr approached the fueling depot, the Camry, occupied by 4 black males quickly fled the area committing numerous moving violations. Sgt. Barr pursued the vehicle and conducted a stop near the intersection of E. 12th & Jefferson. During the detention, Sgt. Barr identified the occupants of the vehicle, and observed a handgun in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Also observed were tools routinely utilized by burglars to commit those type offenses, along with automobile audio equipment. Officers also located an aluminum baseball bat that had what appeared to be glass fragments embedded in the barrel. Officers noted that the earlier reported breaking and entering offenses were committed by using some sort of instrument to break out the rear glass windows of the vehicles. Officers then checked the trunk of the Camry and located additional stereo equipment that had been reported stolen approximately 45 minutes earlier in the 4700 block of County Avenue. In the glovebox of the vehicle, officers located a .32 pistol. The loaded magazine was located in the pocket of one of the suspects. The occupants of the vehicle were identified as:
Cory Barnes B/M 18 of Texarkana, Arkansas Marion Garland B/M 20 of Texarkana, Arkansas Lee Burton B/M 18 of Texarkana, Arkansas And a 17 year-old B/M juvenile of Texarkana, Arkansas
Each of the suspects were arrested on charges of Breaking or Entering / Theft by Receiving / Criminal Mischief. Burton was arrested on an additional charge of Carrying a Prohibited Weapon.
During the follow up investigation later this morning, detectives determined that the vehicle, a 1998 Toyota Camry 4D that Burton purported to own, had been stolen from the lot of the I-49 Auto Auction in Texarkana, Arkansas. All three adults were transported to the Texarkana, Arkansas City Jail, and the juvenile was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center where all are awaiting arraignment. No bond has been set and the investigation continues.
Thank you and you can visit the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department online at http://www.txkusa.org/arkpolice.