Photos: Robert David Lee Spackeen (left) and William Fay
Two men have been taken into custody following a high-speed pursuit by law enforcement with a baby in the back seat of the fleeing vehicle and a loaded .380 pistol near the child.
According to the probable cause affidavit, a Searcy County deputy attempted a traffic stop of a vehicle with New Mexico tags on the morning of Aug. 30 on U.S. Highway 65 in Leslie.
The deputy made contact with the driver, later identified as 33-year-old Robert David Lee Spackeen of Albuquerque. Both Spackeen and his passenger, 32-year-old William Fay, advised they did not have identification and provided fictitious names. A child appearing to be about 1 year old was in a car seat in the back of the vehicle.
The deputy then noticed a plastic baggie in the floor of the vehicle on the driver’s side, appearing to contain methamphetamine. He asked Spackeen to step out and opened the driver’ door. When he told Spackeen not to touch the baggie, the suspect grabbed the container and fought with the deputy to close the vehicle’s door. He then drove away while closing the door.
A pursuit ensued leading into Van Buren County. Spackeen’s vehicle was reportedly “all over the road in both lanes of traffic going speeds of up to 90 mph.”
When the fleeing vehicle turned down a road in Van Buren County, his car became stuck, and Fay fled into nearby woods.
The deputy made contact with Spackeen, directing him to exit his vehicle. Instead, the suspect reportedly began screaming at the deputy and held the infant in front of him as a shield.
The suspect turned around his vehicle, driving through a yard and striking a tree, while managing to return to the highway. On the highway, Spackeen, again driving at a high rate of speed, turned off the lights of his vehicle in an attempt to evade the deputy.
When his vehicle stalled, Spackeen jumped out. When directed by the deputy to stop, the suspect again grabbed the child and placed the baby in front of him for protection before running into the woods.
A K9 unit from the Arkansas Department of Correction was successful in locating Spackeen and the child, as well as Fry at the second location.
Inside the vehicle, law enforcement located the weapon with a round in the chamber, drug paraphernalia, including a needle loaded with what field tested positive as heroine, two pairs of handcuffs, a pair of leg shackles, two loaded pistol magazines and a green leafy substance appearing to be marijuana.
Photos and fingerprints provided the identity of the duo the following day. During an interview with Spackeen, the suspect said they were headed to southern Illinois. Since he was traveling south, Spackeen said he must have taken a wrong turn out of a gas station.
Spackeen has been charged with:
– Possession with purpose to deliver meth cocaine, Class A felony
– Simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, Class Y felony
– Possession with purpose to deliver controlled substance, Schedule VI, Class D felony
– Possession of drug paraphernalia meth cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, Class D felony
– Possession of drug paraphernalia manufacture meth cocaine, Class B felony
– Fleeing, Class D felony
– Endangering welfare of minor/incompetent person, Class D felony
– Reckless driving, Class B misdemeanor
– Defective equipment, unclassified offense
– Driving on suspended license, unclassified misdemeanor
– Possession of a controlled substance, Schedule I, II, excluding meth cocaine, Class F felony
Information on Fay’s charged was not provided. The amount of bonds for the two suspects was not listed on online documents.
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