Kathleen Smith (Photo courtesy of Baxter County Sheriff’s Office)
A Gassville woman, with a lengthy criminal history, has been arrested for breaking into vehicles at a Mountain Home apartment complex and stealing one of the vehicles. Police arrested 39-year-old Kathleen Michelle Smith a short distance away after she fled the scene.
According to the probable cause affidavit from the Mountain Home Police Department, officers responded to the complex on Bradley Drive about 3:15 Thursday morning after a 911 caller reported a person wearing a mask was breaking into vehicles.
As officers arrived, they encountered a vehicle leaving at a high rate of speed. They followed the vehicle to a motel on U.S. Highway 62B. The driver, later identified at Smith, exited the vehicle and fled. Smith was found hiding under a parked truck in the parking lot of the motel.
During a search of Smith, she was in possession of an envelope containing vehicle related documents bearing the name of a tenant residing in the apartment complex. She was also in the possession of two blank checks made out to an individual believed to live in Baxter County.
A records check of the vehicle Smith was driving indicated it belonged to someone else. Officers contacted the registered owner who said she had not given anyone permission to use the vehicle and was unaware it had been taken.
Smith is facing felony charges of theft of property of more than $25,000, theft of property and breaking or entering. She also faces a penalty enhancement of being a habitual offender, meaning she has four or more felony convictions. She is being held on bonds totaling $50,000.
She has been arrested in Baxter, Washington and Sevier counties eight times dating back to 2004. Her arrests include crimes of theft by receiving, theft of property, breaking or entering, forgery, fleeing, fraudulent use of a credit or debit card, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and possession of a controlled substance.
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