Delivery driver's car stolen; suspect arrested less than an hour later

Tharp
Tharp

A Pine Bluff man was arrested Saturday night less than an hour after he allegedly stole a local restaurant delivery driver's car after a tracking device guided Hot Springs police to the vehicle's location.

Jared Alan Tharp, 32, was taken into custody shortly before 7:30 p.m. and charged with a felony count of theft of property more than $5,000, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and a misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance, marijuana, punishable by up to one year in jail.

Tharp was being held in lieu of bonds totaling $4,500 and appeared Monday in Garland County District Court.

According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly after 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Officer Taylor Gates responded to Hunan Palace, 4737 Central Ave., in reference to a vehicle theft that had just occurred and spoke to the owner, 25, of a gold 2007 Ford Fusion that had just been stolen.

The owner stated he is a delivery employee of the restaurant and had left his vehicle, which had a Hunan Palace sign on the roof, running in the parking lot while he ran inside to pick up an order at around 6:30 p.m. and returned to find it gone.

The owner stated he had recently purchased the vehicle, valued at $8,900, from America's Car Mart and he contacted the car dealership, which had an active tracking device on the car. They were able to track the vehicle to a location on Pinehill Road.

Officers responded to the location in the 200 block of Pinehill and found the vehicle parked in the driveway of a residence. As the officers arrived, they saw a white male run behind the residence, so police officers and Garland County sheriff's deputies set up a perimeter around the area.

Officers spoke to a resident, 55, inside the house who stated Tharp had just arrived at his residence in the vehicle and he was the one who fled behind the house. Officers issued several verbal commands for Tharp to come out and he initially refused but finally came out and was taken into custody without further incident.

In searching him, the officers allegedly found a cigarette pack with 1.1 grams of marijuana in his front pocket. While en route to the detention center, Tharp reportedly admitted to stealing the car from in front of Hunan Palace and that he was "taking it for a joy ride."

Local on 07/10/2018

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