A Gassville man facing charges in two criminal cases, including one in which he is alleged to have made himself at home in camper trailers on a dealer’s lot, appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court last week.
Thirty-one-year-old Joshua Ray Theobald pled guilty to charges filed in the camper break-ins, and drug charges stemming from a routine traffic stop.
He was sentenced to five years in prison.
TRAFFIC STOP
On August 30, 2020, a Mountain Home police officer pulled behind a car to alert the driver that tint on the vehicle’s windows was not in compliance with the law.
As soon as the vehicles stopped, a male, later identified as Theobald, bailed out and ran away on foot.
The MHPD officer found a clear glass-smoking pipe coated with a white residue suspected of being methamphetamine in the vehicle. The officer located and questioned the car’s owner and she contacted Theobald. She said she had loaned the vehicle to Theobald. She was able to contact him while the MHPD officer was at her residence.
Theobald is alleged to have told the woman he had gotten a ride to Flippin after jumping out of the car to avoid contact with the police and promised to turn himself in on the charges he had incurred while driving her car.
THE CAMPER CASE
The second case involving the break-in of two camper trailers began with a call in the early morning hours of Nov. 1, 2020.
During the call to the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, a security company employee reported a prowler on the lot of Great Escapes RV Sales located along Highway 62/412 West.
When deputies arrived, they were directed to a camper, but found no one inside. They did find personal belongings, including clothing and a cellphone.
The deputies reported the prowler had left the interior of the camper dirty to the point it would have to be cleaned and sanitized.
A few hours later, the security company called again and said the prowler was back and had entered a camper on the west end of the lot.
Deputies arrived and began searching units until they found a male, later identified as Theobald. He was reported to have been sitting in a chair in the kitchen area of the camper with the oven turned on and the oven door propped open to provide heat.
Theobald came outside when instructed. He told deputies he had drug paraphernalia in his hand and methamphetamine in his pocket.
Theobald also admitted to the deputies the clothing and cellphone found in the other camper belonged to him.
He is alleged to have said he was homeless and looking for a warm place to stay.
Charges against Theobald included two counts of breaking or entering, possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia and two counts of criminal trespass and criminal mischief.
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