A Hot Springs man was arrested early Friday after he allegedly passed a counterfeit $100 bill at a local restaurant late Thursday.
Tyrene Terral Burton, 22, who lists an Ida Street address, was taken into custody shortly after 3:30 a.m. and charged with first-degree forgery, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. He was being held on $5,000 bond and was set to appear Friday afternoon in Garland County District Court.
According to the affidavit, shortly before midnight Thursday, Officer Taylor Gates responded to IHOP, 3837 Central Ave., and spoke to an employee who stated an unknown black male had come in a few minutes earlier and asked him for change for a $100 bill.
He gave him change and moments later while checking the bill determined it was fake. He told Gates the suspect had left in a silver Chevrolet Impala with a temporary tag that expired Dec. 27.
Shortly after 3 a.m., Gates spotted a vehicle matching the description, including the tag, pulling out of Walmart, 4019 Central Ave., and made a traffic stop on it in the 3000 block of Central Ave.
He determined the female driver, 24, had two warrants for failure to appear, so he took her into custody. The rear seat passenger, identified as Burton, allegedly admitted to Gates he had passed a counterfeit bill earlier at IHOP. The IHOP employee was brought to the scene and reportedly confirmed Burton was the suspect from earlier.
Burton was taken into custody and in searching him, Gates reportedly found four more counterfeit $100 bills in his possession.
Local on 12/02/2017