A 33-year-old Mountain Home man appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court last week and pled not guilty to charges allegedly committed within 29 days of each other.
Kyle Wayne Hamm, who reports no fixed address on court documents, was arrested April 18 by a park ranger patrolling Bull Shoals-White River state park.
The ranger said he saw Hamm walking along a tree line, stopping occasionally to pick up a rock that he placed in his pocket.
There is an ongoing debate as to whether those addicted to methamphetamine are attracted to rocks. Those writing on the subject on social media platforms seem to be divided about evenly on whether or not rock collecting and meth use go hand-in-hand.
The ranger initially approached Hamm to find out what he was doing.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the ranger saw that Hamm was carrying two knives. The ranger told Hamm to drop the knives and asked if he had any other weapons or drugs on his person.
Hamm said no. As he emptied his pockets, the ranger saw a metal container and asked Hamm what it held. Hamm told the ranger that was where he kept his rock collection.
The container also held a plastic bag holding suspected methamphetamine.
Once the drug came into play, the ranger told Hamm to put his hands behind his back. He refused.
The ranger told Hamm he was going to use a stun gun on him if he did not cooperate. The threat to use the stun gun put an end to Hamm’s efforts to resist arrest.
At some point, the ranger reports Hamm either threw the suspected methamphetamine away or ate it.
In a backpack, the ranger found several syringes.
Hamm was transported to jail but was released after posting bond. He was apparently out on that bond when he was picked up on other charges.
NEW CHARGES
New charges were brought against him in mid-May when a man reported his truck and a trailer attached to the vehicle had been stolen from his business along County Road 537.
The victim told investigators with the Baxter County Sheriff’s office that he kept the keys to his work vehicles hidden, and only a few employees were aware of the hiding place.
The owner said Hamm was a former employee who did know where the keys were located.
A neighbor of the victim’s said he heard dogs barking and a truck leaving about 3 a.m. He said there was a trailer attached to the truck.
TRUCK LEFT IN PARKING LOT
On the day the theft report was made, employees at Papa John’s Pizza reported they were suspicious of a truck that had been parked for an extended period of time at the restaurant.
The truck was reported to have been there when employees showed up for work.
When it was checked, the truck was determined to be the one reported stolen.
A bicycle was located in the bed of the truck, but ownership could not be determined immediately.
Investigators were told that Hamm was often seen around motels located in an area near Casey’s General Store on Highway 62/412.
Officers went to the Executive Inn and spoke to the manager on duty. He told investigators Hamm was not checked in at the time.
The motel manager said he was familiar with Hamm and that Hamm was suspected of stealing a bicycle from one of his housekeepers.
The victim of the bicycle theft described it to investigators and it was determined to be the one stolen and found in the bed of the truck that Hamm was also suspected of taking.
The bicycle theft was caught on the motel’s surveillance cameras and the owner said he was familiar with Hamm and said Hamm was the person in the video of the bicycle theft.
When the truck was recovered, there were no keys in the vehicle. The owner had it towed so a new ignition could be installed.
The value of the truck was estimated at $10,000 and the trailer at $3,000.
At the time the probable cause affidavit was written, the trailer had not been located.
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