An apparently accidental 911 call led to the arrest of three suspects on felony charges late Sunday after drugs were allegedly found in their vehicle at a local convenience store.
Robert Thomas Dark, 54, who lists an address of Cortez Way in Hot Springs Village, Wendi Yvonne Barfield, 43, who lists a Central Avenue address, and Oceaonna Nikita Robinson, 28, who lists an Illinois Street address, were all taken into custody shortly before 10:30 p.m. and each charged with possession of a controlled substance, meth, and possession of drug paraphernalia, each punishable by up to six years in prison.
Dark, who is on parole, was also charged with three additional counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and Robinson had warrants for two counts of failure to appear and one count of failure to comply. Dark was being held on zero bond, Robinson on $11,000 bond and Barfield on $5,000 bond, and all three appeared Monday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, around 10 p.m. Sunday, a Hot Springs police dispatcher received a 911 call from a phone number reportedly belonging to Dark. The dispatcher noted the call was still ongoing and she could hear a male talking about stealing items from various stores and apparently making a deal to purchase meth.
The call was traced to the area of Grand and Central and it was noted officers had made a traffic stop earlier on a blue Chevrolet Spark driven by Barfield with Dark as the front seat passenger. Sgt. John Tinney located the Spark at Exxon, 1200 Central Ave., and noted Barfield was still in the driver's seat, Dark in the front and Robinson in the back seat.
Upon Tinney's arrival, Robinson reportedly attempted to exit the car, but he told her to stay inside. Dark reportedly opened the passenger door and leaned over "as if placing something under the vehicle." Upon a search of the underside of the car, officers found a cloth bag containing three used syringes.
Robinson was taken into custody on her warrants and the area where she was sitting was searched. In the center of the floorboard, officers allegedly found a plastic bag with what later tested positive for meth enclosed in a gum wrapper.
Barfield gave consent to search the rest of the vehicle and officers reportedly located a purse in the center console containing another baggie of meth, a total of 0.6 gram. Once at the jail, Dark reportedly stated he threw the syringes under the car "to keep Barfield from getting into trouble."
Local on 10/09/2018