A Yellville man is in custody after authorities say he violated state law by entering a public park.
Twenty-eight-year-old Jeremiah Wayne Selfridge was arrested Monday on a warrant stemming from a March 3 incident at Lancaster City Park in Gassville.
According to the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, a Gassville police officer discovered a vehicle parked inside the park after hours around 12:40 a.m. while on routine patrol. The officer made contact with the occupants, including Selfridge.
Authorities say Selfridge told the officer the group had stopped because the vehicle had overheated. However, investigators reported body camera footage showed the hood was closed when the officer first approached and was only opened after Selfridge made that statement.
Officials say Selfridge is a registered Level 3 sex offender and is prohibited under Arkansas law from entering public parks. His presence in the park led to a charge being filed and a warrant issued for his arrest.
Selfridge was taken into custody Monday and booked into the Baxter County Detention Center.
While being processed at the jail, authorities say Selfridge refused to comply with staff and used force against officers, leading to additional charges.
He is currently being held on felony counts of entering a public park as a registered sex offender and battery on a law enforcement officer, along with misdemeanor charges of third-degree assault and impairing operations of a vital public facility.
The other two individuals found in the vehicle were not charged.
Selfridge’s bond is set at $25,000, and he is scheduled to appear in Baxter County Circuit Court March 30.
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