A Dardanelle man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday after pleading guilty in Garland County Circuit Court to the 2016 burglary of a former girlfriend's home in Garland County.
Jeffrey Allen Wolfe, 42, who has remained in custody since his arrest Aug. 3, 2017, was set to be arraigned Monday on the felony charge of residential burglary, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, but instead pleaded guilty. Court costs were expunged for time served since his arrest.
According to the affidavit, on June 29, 2016, Garland County sheriff's deputies responded to a residence in the 900 block of Marion Anderson Road at the request of the 70 West Fire Department regarding a fire at the residence that appeared to have started under the home.
The woman who owned the home arrived and noted items missing from the residence, including a video recorder and outside security camera. She said her ex-boyfriend, identified as Wolfe, had been trying to get her to move to Nashville.
On July 9, 2016, Yell County authorities executed a search warrant on a black Chevrolet Z71 belonging to Wolfe and located the victim's video recorder inside. Four days later, the victim and sheriff's investigators viewed the security footage on the video recorder from the night of June 29.
A dark-colored pickup was seen backing up to the residence at 7:55 p.m. and a white male, identified as Wolfe, was seen attempting to make entry at the front door. Wolfe then was seen going to the rear of the residence and making entry. The surveillance video ended shortly after his entry and a short time later the fire was reported.
• A Hot Springs man who fled from a sheriff's deputy in a vehicle, later crashing into a tree, earlier this year was sentenced to three years in prison Monday after pleading guilty in circuit court.
Helmuth Heinrich Szombathy, 47, who has remained in custody since his arrest July 6 in lieu of $2,500 bond, was previously convicted April 2, 2013, of felony fleeing and two counts of aggravated assault and sentenced to four years in prison after leading deputies on a lengthy vehicle pursuit on Sept. 27, 2012, and trying to ram his pursuers.
According to the affidavit on the July 6 incident, shortly before 4 a.m., sheriff's Deputy Justin Parker attempted to make a traffic stop on a 1997 Oldsmobile 88 that turned onto Hughes Road for failing to signal the turn and defective taillights.
The driver, later identified as Szombathy, refused to stop and continued onto Dodge Place and Lorado Loop and drove through a residential neighborhood running multiple stop signs as he made two loops through the area. He continued back on Hughes Road to Clearcreek Road, swerving into oncoming traffic, until he reached the 800 block of Clearcreek where he turned into a yard.
He briefly became stuck in a ditch before heading back east on Clearcreek, finally running off the road again at Clearcreek and Dancing Rabbit Trail, where he sideswiped one tree and then collided head-on with a second tree.
Szombathy was thrown into the passenger seat by the impact and became trapped. Parker and Cpl. Josh Cannon were finally able to pull Szombathy from the wreckage as the vehicle began to smoke. Szombathy, who was unable to stand, walk or hold himself up, was transported by LifeNet to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs for treatment and later arrested.
Local on 10/24/2017