An Izard County woman accused of stealing a vehicle reportedly said she took the car to avoid trouble. According to Izard County Sheriff Jack Yancey, 36-year-old Callie Clark of Mount Pleasant was arrested Wednesday on a felony count of theft of property. She has since been released on $20,000 bond.
A deputy was dispatched June 24th to a residence on East Arkansas Highway 58 on a complaint of a suspicious person. When the deputy arrived, he reportedly observed a red pickup truck in the driveway with a white male, identified as Catlin Bridgers, in the driver’s seat. He then observed a female, later identified as Clark, at the front door talking to the resident. As the deputy approached, Clark claimed her young son was possibly in danger.
Clark stated her son was in Mississippi, and the deputy advised her to contact authorities in that state to conduct a welfare check. After making phone calls, Clark reportedly yelled she needed to go to Mississippi to check on her son, and the deputy asked Bridgers to drive the truck because Clark seemed too upset. According to the deputy, the truck turned north on to Arkansas Highway 69.
Later that evening, deputies were dispatched to another residence on Johnson Loop in Mount Pleasant on a stolen vehicle complaint. The complainant said Clark came to her residence seeking a ride to Mississippi. The complainant reports she asked Clark to ride with her to her father’s residence. When they arrived, the complainant and Bridgers went inside to talk with her father, and Clark allegedly took his vehicle without permission and left.
After the vehicle was entered as stolen, Independence County authorities located it around 11:00 and conducted a traffic stop. Clark was allegedly driving the vehicle.
The next morning, Clark told Izard County deputies her former husband lives in Cabot, and he has custody of the child. She also stated she has summer visitation, and she took her son to visit family in Mississippi on June 16th. She claimed her son wanted to stay, and she let him. She reportedly called her son three days later, and his voice was trembling on the phone. She then stated she Facetimed her son June 23rd, and he was crying. Clark said she has a 30-year-old cousin whom she believes has been charged with child molestation, and she had a feeling her son was being touched or hurt.
Clark later allegedly claimed she stole the vehicle because her truck is messed up, and she believes someone has tampered with it. She alleged a black male was following her around Mount Pleasant in her truck, and she wanted to take another vehicle to avoid being followed. When asked why she was only in Batesville if she was going to Mississippi from the time of the theft, she reported said she was driving around thinking about what was going on.
Clark is scheduled to appear in Izard County Circuit Court later this month. The vehicle she is accused of stealing is valued at $25,000.
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