A homeless man, 30-year-old Colby Vanlandingham, has been charged with aggravated assault following an incident in Flippin when he allegedly pulled a knife on a Marion County man when told to leave a laundromat.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed Thursday, just before 10:00 on the evening of Nov. 29th, Vanlandingham and another man were observed sitting in the laundromat. The two told an employee they planned to spend the night at the business.
When told spending the night there would be bad for business, the larger of the two men allegedly pulled out a knife. When the employee also pulled out a knife, the two men fled.
The employee told law enforcement the individual pulling the knife on him had a scarf or some clothing material covering his face, so he wasn’t able to get a good look at him. He said the other individual had a hoodie on, preventing him from seeing his face. However, the incident was captured on a surveillance camera.
Late the following morning, Flippin police received a phone call from an asset protection employee at a local retailer, advising two male subjects were making their way across the business’ parking lot toward Hickey Park.
She advised the two men allegedly stole several items from the business, including a green backpack one of the two was now wearing. Two Flippin officers could see the subjects through the window of the restaurant were they were eating.
The officers drove into Hickey Park where they met the subjects and observed Vanlandingham drop the green backpack and his companion drop something on the ground next to the only trashcan in the area.
The green backpack contained a tarp, sleeping bag, and bungee cord. The item recovered near the trash can was a 4 ounce can of lighter fluid. All of the items recovered were reported stolen.
When confronted about the shoplifting, the men advised they were homeless and needed the items to keep warm.
In addition, the two men fit the description of the subjects involved in the aggravated assault at the laundromat the prior evening and were questioned about the incident before being taken into custody.
Vanlandingham’s bond was set at $20,000. Online court records do not reflect a case for the second individual allegedly involved in the two incidents.
Records do reflect an additional felony count of failure to register as a sex offender or report an address change being filed against Vanlandingham earlier this month.
In late November, a Marion County Sheriff’s deputy went to a residence on South Third Street in Flippin to conduct a home visit. A maintenance worker advised Vanlandingham had moved from the residence over a week prior, and the landlord advised an eviction notice had been served.
A check with the Arkansas Crime Information Center indicated sex offenders being evicted have three days to notify the agency with jurisdiction they are no longer at the address they were registered at.
When Vanlandingham came to the sheriff’s office to recertify his sex offender registration, he said he was employed at a local manufacturer. A check with the business’ human resources department revealed he was terminated in early September.
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