Photo: David Scott Albrecht
A Gassville man, who once said he was trying to drown himself by sticking his head in a toilet in the county jail, appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday.
The charges against 37-year-old David Scott Albrecht stem from an incident Feb. 15 in which he is accused of taking a vehicle without permission and stealing personal property from a residence.
He is also charged in connection with his actions after he was jailed, including striking a member of the detention center staff.
Albrecht’s attorney announced to the court that no plea agreement had been reached, and it appeared his client was headed to trial next month.
Albrecht’s arrest came when a Baxter County deputy responded to an address along Arkansas Highway 5 North in Midway where the residents of the home said Albrecht and his girlfriend had been allowed to spend the night in their home.
The female victim said when she awoke on the morning of Feb. 15, she discovered sometime during the night, Albrecht had allegedly taken the keys to her car off the kitchen table and drove the vehicle away without permission.
In addition, the victims said there were items missing from the home itself – including $80, several DVD movies, clothing and jewelry.
Albrecht’s girlfriend said about daylight, he had told her he was going to a convenience store in the Midway area, but told investigators she had no idea he was taking the victim’s car. She said she thought he meant he was walking to the store.
After taking the report, the deputy left the residence. As he approached the convenience store, he saw a vehicle matching the description of the one reported stolen.
The driver went around the building “as if to evade” the deputy, then got on Highway 5 North and returned to the residence where the vehicle had allegedly been taken.
Albrecht was identified as the driver. He admitted to the male resident he had taken $80 off the kitchen table. He returned it to the victims.
The female victim looked in the car and found items missing from the home. Some items believed missing were not found. Albrecht was reported to have offered little information as to the missing property.
When booked into the Baxter County Detention Center, Albrecht had a gold coin necklace and a gold bracelet in his possession. The victims identified the items as belonging to them.
On the day he was booked into jail, Albrecht was reported to have become unruly by screaming, shouting obscenities, banging on his cell and refusing to follow commands from jail staff. He was placed in a restraint chair several times during the day, in an attempt to control his actions.
At one period during the day, a member of the jail staff went to the detox cell where Albrecht was housed and found him on his hands and knees with his head in the toilet. The jailer asked Albrecht what he was doing and the inmate reportedly said, “I am trying to drown myself, what’s it to you?”
Two jailers attempted to get Albrecht into a restraint chair, but he became combative and struck one of them in the chest knocking the wind out of the officer. He was finally put in the chair.
Albrecht is charged with theft of property, and second-degree battery on a law enforcement or corrections officer.
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