Week in Review 12-31 to 1-6

wireready_01-07-2018-13-46-03_00020_weekinreview

Home destroyed by fire Friday morning

One person was home when a residence south of Mountain Home located at 102 Cabinet Lane off of State Highway 5 South in the Tracy Area Volunteer Fire Department service area was destroyed by fire Friday morning.

Firemen from at least four departments responded to the blaze about 10:45. Approximately 15 minutes after information indicated fire was in the walls of the home, the residence was reported fully engulfed.

Mutual aid was provided by the Buford Community Volunteer Fire Department, Mountain Home Fire Department and Salesville Volunteer Fire Department.

The home is owned by Andy Edwards and his fiancée, Megan Cantrell. A third person who resides at the residence, Kailey Haworth, was home when the fire broke out destroying all contents.

Kailey Haworth’s clothing sizes are medium/large shirts, size 12 pants, and size 8 shoes.

Megan Cantrell’s clothing sizes are large shirts, size 10 pants and size 10 shoes.

Andy Edwards’ clothing sizes are large shirts, 33-34 pants and size 13 or 14 shoes.

A benefit account for Edwards and Cantrell is set up at Integrity First Bank. An account for Haworth was established at Arvest Bank.

_________________________________________________________________

Audit indicates former Flippin police chief’s alleged take now over $63,000

The total of alleged stolen funds from the City of Flippin by its former Police Chief Ronald “Dusty” Smith has grown to more than $63,000 according to the results of an investigation by the Arkansas Legislative Audit. The audit results are contained in a probable cause affidavit filed Thursday. The affidavit indicates a Class B felony count of theft of property has been filed against Smith, reflective of the increased dollar amount of the missing funds.

The original affidavit filed in late November followed an investigation by Arkansas State Police at the request of 14th Judicial Prosecuting Attorney David Ethredge into the misuse of over $8,000 in funds from the City of Flippin. The investigation led to Smith’s arrest on a Class C felony count of theft of property. The count reflects the amount of missing property ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.

The investigation leading to Smith’s arrest was triggered when the city’s keeper of the records, identified only as a part-time employee, received an email from a bank saying the former police chief’s city credit card was within 20 percent of its limit. This was a concern because Smith was apparently on vacation from the Flippin Police Department and heading to Florida to work for a private company. An October bank statement noted $3,700 on Smith’s card. Ninety percent of those charges were from outside the state of Arkansas.

After the request for the State Police investigation, Ethredge requested an audit by the Arkansas Legislative Audit to be conducted from January 1, 2015 to the present for any credit cards, police accounts, drug buy accounts, and any accounts associated with Smith during this time frame.

According to the latest affidavit, the auditor reported from January 1, 2015 to the present Smith misused $63,718.84 in funds from the City of Flippin. No further specifics are provided indicating from which accounts the funds were allegedly taken.

_________________________________________________________________

Stolen vehicle, high-speed chase leads to 3 arrests

A reported stolen vehicle and a high-speed chase in Marion County has led to the arrest of three Boone County residents.

Marion County Sheriff Clinton Evans says his office was contacted by Boone County Sheriff Mike Moore Tuesday morning just before 8:00 advising him of a stolen vehicle possibly located in Marion County.   Sheriff Evans located the vehicle at the address provided by Sheriff Moore and observed the vehicle exiting the residence.

Evans attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle, but it fled at a high rate of speed. Following a short pursuit, the vehicle came to a stop at a dead end road, and three occupants fled on foot. Two females 23-year-old Amber Wierzgac and 37-year-old Dawn Smith, were taken into custody immediately. One male, 34-year-old Curtis Heptinstall, continued to flee and was later located under debris left by high water along Crooked Creek.

The three were charged with fleeing and theft by receiving. In addition, Smith was also charged with possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine.
Bonds for Heptinstall and Wierzgac were set at $10,000. Smith’s bond was set at $15,000.

Assisting the Marion County Sheriff’s Office with the pursuit and search of the male suspect were officers from the Arkansas State Police, the Arkansas Game and Fish and the Flippin Police Department. In addition, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the interview process.

_________________________________________________________________

Near 3-hour police standoff in Harrison ends without incident

A standoff at the Tower Manor Apartments at 816 North Main Street in Harrison, next door to Sonic, ended peacefully less than three hours after it started Wednesday. A man, identified as 61-year-old Michael Sherman Enix, kept officers at bay saying he had a hammer and that police officers were trying to kill his sister. He eventually surrendered by coming out of his apartment on his own.

During the standoff the Sonic temporarily shut down.

Enix was taken to the Boone County Jail with bond set at $25,000. He faces charges of criminal attempt to commit first-degree battery on a law enforcement officer.

According to the Harrison Daily Times, a Harrison Police daily log shows a caller reported a window in the second floor apartment had been shattered from the inside about 10:45 a.m. Wednesday.
The window was visibly broken and shattered glass littered the driveway of the restaurant below.
A witness said Enix apparently threw a candle through the window and it was still in one of the drive-in bays.

As police officers began arriving on scene, a pickup was parked across the Sonic entrance, although people still tried to get in through the exit. The restaurant was serving no food during the incident.

Officers began lining the balcony while Detective Corporal Jimmy Sailer spoke to Enix, who was yelling back. He apparently had one hammer inside the residence. Sailer called into the apartment asking Enix to put the hammer down and talk to him.

Inside the apartment, the man — who Police Chief Paul Woodruff identified as — was yelling someone had killed his sister, possibly two police officers named Jeremy and Steve. Sailer said there are no officers by those names on the force and the Harrison Police Department hadn’t answered any such complaints.

Around noon, with the temperature at 28 degrees, Sailer continued trying to coax Enix outside as the officer saw Enix was making coffee. A few minutes later, he handed Sailer a cup through the shattered window.

A few minutes later Enix was asking for cigarettes. Sailer said he didn’t smoke and didn’t have any, but he would get some if Enix would exit the apartment. He didn’t. Sailer continued trying to negotiate Enix’s surrender while officers in Special Operations Team gear began lining the balcony.

Enix had been asking to talk to the Boone County sheriff and began accusing Sailer and other officers of trying to kill him. Sailer assured him no one was trying to kill him. About two hours into the situation, Enix began asking about people outside. Sailer said there was no one but a few store employees and someone from the newspaper, who he had apparently been asking about earlier.

Negotiations continued on with Sailer still trying to get Enix to exit on his own, or at least go to the door where they could talk more easily.

By about 1:20 p.m., Enix again started yelling again from inside the apartment. The exchange went on for a few minutes as SOT members lined up around the corner from the apartment awaiting an order to make forced entry if necessary.

Suddenly, Sailer motioned to the SOT officers to move forward as the man opened the door on his own and fell to his knees with his hands behind his head. Officers moved in and took him into custody.

Woodruff said the SOT officers were waiting for a search warrant before making entry because Enix wasn’t able to immediately hurt anyone. The warrant had just arrived as Enix surrendered.

The chief said that when Sergeant Chad Morris arrived on scene Wednesday morning, a hammer was thrown through the window and Morris dodged it to keep from being hit in the head.

Woodruff said Enix was highly intoxicated and agitated at the time.

_________________________________________________________________

First baby of 2018 arrives at BRMC

It’s a boy! The first baby of 2018 born at Baxter Regional Medical Center arrived Tuesday morning.

Xander Killion, son of Jeremy and Cortnie Killion of Gainesville, arrived at 9:28, weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 19 inches. He was delivered by Dr. Harley Barrow of The Center for Women.

Xander will be welcomed home by siblings Draven and Kaelyn.

WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI