Alleged shoplifter with pellet gun arrested for aggravated robbery

Hetherington
Hetherington

A local man allegedly attempting to shoplift items at Walmart Wednesday was soon facing a felony charge because he was reportedly armed with a pellet gun employees believed to be real.

Andrew Rodney Hetherington, 32, who lists a Marion Anderson Road address, was taken into custody shortly after 5 p.m. and charged with aggravated robbery, punishable by up to life in prison, and misdemeanor counts of theft of property and two counts of possession of a controlled substance, punishable by up to one year in jail.

Hetherington was being held without bond and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court.

According to the affidavit, around 5 p.m., Hot Springs police were dispatched to Walmart, 1601 Albert Pike, to a reported robbery and spoke to an employee who said about 15 minutes earlier he had seen a white male, later identified as Hetherington, selecting several items of merchandise and concealing them in his pants.

He noted the suspect was attempting to leave without paying when the employee confronted him and tried to detain him at the exit door. As he began speaking to Hetherington, he attempted to flee and began to resist, the employee states, and during the struggle Hetherington's shirt came off exposing a black handgun tucked in the front of his pants.

Hetherington allegedly stated he had a gun and would use it and pointed to the gun in his waistband. Hetherington left the store but was located moments later by Officer Justin Bradbury in the parking lot at 1623 Albert Pike.

Bradbury noted Hetherington was shirtless and kept reaching for his waistband. A handgun then fell down his pants into his pants leg where it was recovered and found to be a pellet gun "the average person would believe to be an actual firearm," the affidavit states.

In searching the suspect, Bradbury reportedly found a cigar package containing 0.3 gram of marijuana, one whole Xanax pill and two half pills and two methacarbamol tablets.

When questioned later, Hetherington stated he was shopping at Walmart and had purchased a yellow bandanna and a soda, but had also selected a Batman hat but forgot to pay for it at the self-checkout. He said he was stopped by an employee and a scuffle ensued during which he lost his jacket and shirt.

He allegedly admitted to being in possession of a pellet gun that was in plain sight and that he didn't have a receipt for any of the merchandise on his person.

Local on 12/08/2017

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