A previously convicted felon was sentenced to five years in prison Monday after pleading guilty in Garland County Circuit Court to multiple felony charges, including arson and possession of drugs and a gun.
Chris Allen Ennis, 34, who lists a Garland Avenue address, pleaded guilty to arson, possession of a controlled substance, meth, and possession of a firearm by certain persons and was sentenced to five years on each count, to run concurrently with each other and the revocation of his parole from a previous conviction for possession of a controlled substance. He was also fined a total of $900 and ordered to pay $635 in court costs.
According to the affidavit on the arson charge, on Sept. 28, 2016, around 5:30 a.m., Hot Springs police and firefighters, including Fire Marshal Carlton Scott, responded to a vehicle fire in front of Ennis' residence on Garland.
Upon their arrival, they located a maroon 2000 Ford Expedition on fire and Scott ruled it was arson. A witness, who lived across the street, stated he saw Ennis and another unknown person break out the back glass to the vehicle and set it on fire. The witness had reportedly known Ennis for about two years.
The vehicle was determined to belong to Ennis' former girlfriend who stated she had recently paid $995 for the vehicle but also had $1,900 worth of equipment in the back that was damaged in the fire. A warrant for Ennis' arrest was later issued.
On Dec. 9, 2016, around 8:45 p.m., police were dispatched to Walmart, 4019 Central Ave., regarding a known suspect, identified as Ennis, attempting to return stolen merchandise. Upon arrival, officer Richard Nunez discovered Ennis had left before he got there but then found him near the grocery entrance.
Officers ordered Ennis to stop, but he started walking away and initially refused to take his hands out of his pockets. At one point, he was seen throwing an object underneath a nearby vehicle and then finally surrendered.
Officers checked under the vehicle and located a loaded .32-caliber revolver. Some additional .32-caliber ammunition was found in Ennis' jacket after he was taken into custody. A computer check revealed Ennis had warrants for the December arson and for failure to appear.
It was also noted he was convicted of a felony count of second-degree forgery in 2006 so it was illegal for him to own or be in possession of a firearm.
Local on 05/09/2018