The last of three suspects arrested last year in connection with the armed robbery of a local woman pleaded guilty to an amended charge Tuesday and was sentenced to five years in prison.
Michael Jay Craig Jr., 20, of Hot Springs, pleaded guilty in Garland County Circuit Court to robbery, reduced from an original charge of aggravated robbery, and failure to appear while additional misdemeanor charges of fleeing in a vehicle and fleeing on foot were withdrawn. He was also ordered to pay $420 in court costs.
Angel Nicole Hill, 20, had pleaded guilty May 15 to the same amended charge after a six-man, six-woman circuit court jury was unable to reach a verdict in her trial on the original aggravated robbery charge. Garland County Public Defender Tim Beckham, who represented Hill, said previously they decided to take the plea offer on the reduced charge instead of risking a retrial.
A third alleged accomplice, Diamond Dalissa Morris, 22, of Camden, was arrested on the same charge, but it was later withdrawn and "she was the prosecution's key witness against Hill," Beckham said.
Deputy Prosecutor Kara Petro, who represented the state, said Wednesday they believe Hill was the one who actually robbed the victim and Craig just drove the vehicle they fled in. Morris was also a passenger in the car.
"I didn't feel it was appropriate to have the driver plead to more than what Angel Hill got," Petro said.
According to the affidavit, on July 19, 2017, shortly after 4 a.m., Officer Taylor Gates responded to Indiandale Apartments, 105 Lowery St., in reference to an aggravated robbery and made contact with a woman who stated she was robbed at gunpoint about 20 minutes earlier.
She said she was carrying a tote with her purse on top of it from her vehicle to her apartment when she was approached by what she believed was a black male wearing a mask with a skeletal design who pointed what appeared to be a handgun at her head and began shouting.
The suspect took her purse and then ran and jumped in the front passenger seat of a gold 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix which fled from the lot.
While en route to the scene, Sgt. Frank Sears observed a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle. He attempted to make a traffic stop but the vehicle fled, eventually stopping on Hendricks Street.
The three occupants of the vehicle fled on foot but were apprehended a short time later. Next to the passenger side of the vehicle, Gates found two billfolds and ID cards with the victim's name on them.
He also located a skeletal mask and a fake plastic gun in the driver's side floorboard.
Police determined Craig was driving the car, Hill was in the front passenger seat and Morris was in the back seat. All three suspects were brought in for questioning at the police department.
Morris said Hill exited the vehicle to rob the woman in the parking lot. She said she was wearing a mask and once she returned to the car, she went through the victim's purse. Morris said she knew Hill intended to rob the woman.
Hill admitted to being in the suspect vehicle and fleeing on foot but said the robbery was not her idea and claimed she was passed out in the car the entire time.
Craig admitted to driving the vehicle and fleeing from police but also said it was Hill who robbed the woman.
Craig had remained in custody until he was released on $6,500 bond on Feb. 7, 2018, but then he failed to appear for a scheduled hearing in circuit court on March 13. A bench warrant was issued and he was taken into custody last week.
Local on 06/07/2018