Two burglary cases have been filed in Ozark County court, with one involving a suspect who was the subject of two manhunts in Baxter County.
A warrant with a $5,000 cash-only bond has been issued for Travis Wayde Smith of Tulsa in connection with a string of burglaries. Smith is charged with allegedly breaking into and attempting to break into several businesses. He faces one felony count of second-degree burglary in Ozark County. The charge is in connection with the February burglary of the Ranch House restaurant on Highway 5, south of Gainesville.
Smith has a history of run-ins with police, including two manhunts in the past year. According to the probable cause statement, Baxter County officers located Smith in February, who then fled on foot, and a manhunt ensued involving several agencies and the canine team from the Arkansas Department of Correction, but he was not arrested. Later that month, officers spotted Smith at a residence in Midway, and a second manhunt ensued. After approximately an hour of searching with the tracking dogs, Smith was found and apprehended.
After his arrest, Smith reportedly told officers he entered the Ranch House restaurant using a pry bar and took $300 from the cash register. He said he also attempted to break into the Gainesville Subway restaurant the same night, but was unsuccessful. Smith also told officers he attempted to break into a fueling station in Theodosia.
Additionally, Smith was charged in connection with burglaries at Freds Fish House and the J&J Convenience Store in Mountain Home. He also reportedly faces charges in Fulton County and in Oklahoma.
Michael Scott Strickland of Pontiac is scheduled to appear on September 25th to face charges of burglary and stealing of $750 or more of property. Strickland was arrested August 24th and held on a $5,000 cash-only bond.
According to the probable cause statement, an officer was dispatched to Mathews Mini Storage in Theodosia in May. He met with the victim, who said his storage unit had been burglarized, with a ladder tree stand and dozens of 3D targets taken.
Two days later, the victim reportedly called police again advising officers a friend told him a someone had obtained the 3D targets recently. Officers spoke with the buyer, who said Strickland came to his business and offered to sell the targets and tree stand.
Strickland reportedly told officers he had purchased the targets from a man named Keith. Approximately 20 bow targets and a ladder tree stand were recovered.
The next day, Stricklands former boss reported a leaf blower, Weed Eater and a .22-caliber rifle missing. When Strickland was questioned about the newly reported items, he told the officer he took the leaf blower, but he wasn’t aware of where the Weed Eater or rifle was.
The inventory of recovered items from Strickland include 20 archery targets, four target boxes and a 15-foot ladder tree stand.
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