A local man already serving prison time after a 2014 conviction for a strong arm robbery was sentenced to an additional four years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to a purse snatching in 2013.
Montgomery Louell Howard, 22, who was convicted of aggravated robbery on Feb. 24, 2014, and sentenced to 15 years in prison, pleaded guilty in Garland County Circuit Court to a felony count of breaking or entering and in addition to the four years in prison was ordered to pay $700 in restitution to the victim and $170 in court costs.
According to the affidavit on the breaking or entering charge, on July 30, 2013, Hot Springs police officers responded to the 4000 block of Central Avenue to a vehicle break-in and made contact with a female victim who stated she had returned to her vehicle after shopping, put her purse in the front seat and began loading her merchandise into the rear of the vehicle.
During this time, an unknown male exited the vehicle parked next to her and reached into her car and grabbed her purse. She stated the suspect got back into the passenger side of his car and the vehicle fled the scene. The purse contained two wallets, one of which was recovered on Section Line Road minutes later.
The incident was captured on video. The license plate number of the suspect car was obtained and officers contacted the subject the tags returned to who stated the vehicle belonged to his daughter. She told police two males were in her car while she was at a doctor's appointment.
Detective Fallis called a known number for one of the suspects and spoke with a woman who asked to remain anonymous. She stated she spoke with the driver of the car who told her he drove away after his friend took the purse because he was scared.
On March 19, 2014, Howard, who was in jail at that time for the aggravated robbery, sent a letter to Fallis asking to speak with him. Fallis interviewed Howard at the jail and he stated he and the second suspect were at Wal-Mart on the date of the crime and he admitted he took the purse from the victim. As they drove away, Howard stated he removed the cash from the purse and threw the purse out the car window.
According to the affidavit on the aggravated robbery, on Aug. 22, 2013, Howard and an accomplice, 23, robbed an 80-year-old man in a parking lot in the 3300 block of Central Avenue. Howard approached the victim as he was getting out of his pickup and asked him for jumper cables.
When the man told him he didn't have any, Howard put something to the man's temple. The victim hit Howard's hand, causing him to drop the object, which turned out to be a magazine or clip from a gun. Howard then fled through the parking lot, but a witness saw him jump into the passenger side of a maroon Toyota Corolla and got the license plate.
A few minutes later, police stopped the Corolla in the 1700 block and both suspects jumped out and fled. Howard was caught in the 1600 block and the accomplice was caught a few minutes later at Malvern and East Grand.
Howard was questioned by Fallis and admitted to using a gun clip to attempt to rob "an old man" in the parking lot, but claimed the accomplice had "pressured him" into the robbery so they could "get some money."
Local on 07/03/2015