A Mountain Home man who tried to run rather than being jailed for contempt of court is now charged with third-degree escape.
Early last month, 32-year-old John Robert Bryant appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court in an open criminal case in which he is charged with stealing almost $2,000 in merchandise from several Mountain Home businesses.
When Circuit Judge John Putman inquired about the status of the case, deputy public defender Mark Cooper reported Bryant had not been in contact with him.
Judge Putman said the court had ordered Bryant to stay in touch with his attorney and his failure to do so put him in contempt of the court’s order.
Judge Putman first ordered Bryant jailed for 30 days, but later lowered the jail stay to 10 days.
Bryant was remanded into the custody of the Sheriff’s Office to be taken to jail to begin serving his time.
A deputy allowed Bryant to make a phone call to report he was being locked up. While on the phone, he began walking down the hallway of the court complex and sprinted out of the front lobby area after a deputy ordered him to stop.
Bryant was captured in a parking lot on the south side of the court complex. He was escorted back inside, then transported to the Baxter County Detention Center.
His attempt to get away resulted in the third-degree escape charge. Bryant was jailed on June 4 and released the same day on $10,000 bond.
In his original theft case, Bryant was accused of stealing items from area businesses on several occasions during a several month period early last year.
In some cases, Bryant was alleged to have stolen from some businesses on multiple occasions.
In one instance, Bryant was accused of stealing four fishing rods valued at almost $160 each.
During the investigation, it was discovered Bryant had sold the rods to a local pawnshop the same day they were stolen.
He is also charged with stealing from the stores during a declared state of emergency put into effect during the COVID-19 pandemic.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI