A man was arrested in Newton County Friday after barricading himself in a bedroom with two children held as hostages when law enforcement arrived to serve an arrest warrant on him. Thirty-eight-year-old Ryan Scott Applegate, who lists himself as homeless in his most recent court documents but has had addresses in Harrison and Western Grove, has a lengthy criminal history and was wanted after not showing up for his latest court case in May. A woman in the house was also arrested.
According to Newton County Sheriff Glenn Wheeler, his agency, along with U.S. Marshals, the Arkansas Department of Correction, 14th Judicial District Drug Task Force and Arkansas Probation and Parole went to a house in the Lurton area. Wheeler says they had knowledge Applegate, who had also absconded from probation and parole, was in the area and was armed.
When law enforcement arrived and called the residents out, Applegate barricaded himself in a bedroom and held two children, ages four and six, in the room with him. Sheriff Wheeler says a standoff ensued for quite some time and Applegate refused to negotiate with law enforcement. He says they confirmed there were firearms in the room with Applegate.
The Harrison Police Department, Boone County Sheriff’s Office and Arkansas State Police were contacted to activate their SWAT teams and an ambulance from North Arkansas Regional Medical Center was staged in the area.
Law enforcement on the scene continued to try to contact Applegate. Eventually, Applegate let the two children go, and then he surrendered before any SWAT teams arrived.
Both children were unharmed and were turned over to family members.
After Applegate was taken into custody, law enforcement recovered three firearms and 10.5 grams of methamphetamine.
Applegate is charged with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of second degree endangering the welfare of a minor, three counts of possession of firearms by certain persons, meaning he is a convicted felon, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, possession of a schedule II controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony failure to appear, resisting arrest, a probation and parole white warrant and a penalty enhancement of being a habitual offender, meaning he has four or more felony convictions. He is being held on $75,000 bond.
Also arrested at the scene was 24-year-old Santana Criner of the residence. She was charged with felony count of hindering the apprehension of a fugitive. She is free after posting bond.
Sheriff Wheeler says “Mr. Applegate has been a real problem for years and made a bad mistake today when he took those kids hostage and endangered a lot of people over his stupid life choices. But, he eventually came to his senses, realized he was completely out of options and finally made a good choice for a change. We are thankful for that as it could have gone very badly.”
Applegate has nine previous felony arrests in Arkansas dating back to 2009 in Newton, Carroll and Pope counties.
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