The second of four suspects arrested earlier this year for allegedly forcing their way into a local hotel room to rob a Texas couple was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday.
Autumn Dean Polston, 27, of Hot Springs, who has remained in custody since her arrest May 10 in lieu of $15,000 bond, appeared in Garland County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to a felony count of residential burglary, amended from an original charge of aggravated residential burglary, and misdemeanor third-degree battery.
Polston also admitted to her status as a habitual offender, having been previously convicted on June 25, 2013, of possession of a controlled substance, meth, and on July 31, 2015, of possession of a firearm by certain persons and possession of drug paraphernalia. Court costs were expunged for time served since her arrest.
One accomplice, Bobby Jack Smith, 30, of Hot Springs, pleaded guilty Nov. 20 in circuit court to an amended charge of residential burglary and was sentenced to five years' supervised probation, fined $1,000 and ordered to pay $420 in court costs.
Their other alleged accomplices, Brandon Nathaniel Folsom, 31, and Jakota Rustin Clay, 29, are each also facing an amended felony charge of residential burglary and a misdemeanor count of third-degree battery. Folsom was set to stand trial Dec. 7, but the case was continued and he is now set to stand trial Feb. 22. Clay is set to stand trial Jan. 10.
According to the affidavits, on May 9, shortly before 11:30 p.m., Hot Springs police Officer Richard Nunez was in the area of the Econo Lodge, 1204 Central Ave., looking for a wanted person, identified as Clay, when he saw several people randomly banging on doors and windows of the motel rooms. He saw them enter one room after the occupant opened the door. Then he heard a single gunshot and saw the suspects "run out of the room."
The four suspects allegedly forced their way into a room occupied by a Newark, Texas, man, 59, and his wife, 58. The victim, who had answered the door armed with a handgun, fired one shot after being knocked to the floor, striking Folsom in the torso. The bullet reportedly exited Folsom's body and struck Smith in the upper chest and shoulder.
Officers apprehended Clay after a short foot pursuit. Smith was located near the 400 block of West Grand and transported by LifeNet to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs. Police determined Folsom and Polston had gone to CHI by private vehicle. Smith was arrested the next day and Folsom on May 19 after their release from the hospital.
The Texas man told police he and his wife heard someone banging on their motel room door and, not knowing who it could be, he answered the door armed with his .22-caliber derringer-style handgun.
He said that as he opened the door Folsom hit him in the face, causing him to fall backward. He said he fired one shot that struck Folsom, causing him to double over, and then all three men fled the room, leaving Polston behind. She was pulled from the room by a second female, who was later questioned by police but not charged.
When questioned, Polston claimed she was robbed shortly prior to the incident by an unidentified subject who she believed was staying in the room occupied by the victims. She said she, Clay, Folsom and Smith left her room at the motel and walked over to the victims' room to confront and "beat the a - - " of the person who robbed her.
She said one of the men knocked on the door and when the male victim answered one of the men hit him. She said she then heard a gunshot and fled. She said she recalled looking back and seeing a white male pointing a gun at her and then saw Folsom with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his abdomen.
Local on 12/15/2017