A local man was arrested on multiple felony charges Friday after allegedly wrecking his car and fleeing the scene, and drugs, two firearms and ammunition were reportedly found in the vehicle.
Alphonzo Dewayne Ellis Jr., 21, who lists a Beard Street address, was taken into custody shortly after 4 p.m. and charged with simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, punishable by up to life in prison, possession of a controlled substance, marijuana, with purpose to deliver, punishable by up to 10 years, two felony counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Ellis was also cited for careless and prohibited driving, driving on a suspended driver's license, failure to present proof of insurance and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. He was initially held on zero bond but his bond had been set at $74,500 as of Monday. He was set to appear Monday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly before 3:30 p.m., Hot Springs police Officer Chris Chapin responded to the intersection of Shady Grove Road and Fontana Street in reference to a hit-and-run wreck involving a blue Ford Expedition.
Upon arrival, Chapin was told by witnesses a shirtless black male with dreadlocks wearing black shorts had run west from the wrecked vehicle toward Ridgeview Street, so he proceeded to that area and heard several dogs barking behind a residence in the 100 block of Ridgeview.
As he approached the house, he saw two dogs looking east toward a wooded area behind the house and then he reportedly heard brush breaking directly behind the fence. He followed the sounds up the block and after about 20 minutes he spotted a black male matching the description coming from behind a residence there.
Chapin ordered Ellis to the ground and took him into custody without incident. He noted several items were found on his person, including a .270-caliber rifle round, a juvenile female's driver's license, cigarette lighters and a cellphone. Located near Ellis behind a chain link fence was a pink jacket with what appeared to be dried blood on the elbows.
Police Detectives Ty Threadgill and Trent Chadick responded to the scene at Shady Grove and Fontana around 4 p.m. and searched the Expedition that had been involved in the hit-and-run wreck. They reportedly found a .45-caliber handgun and a 9-mm pistol, multiple 9-mm rounds, multiple .380-caliber rounds, a bag with .410 shotgun rounds, three other rifle rounds, multiple cellphones and tablets, a holster, a glass marijuana pipe, glass meth pipe and three sets of digital scales.
They also reportedly found one bag of suspected marijuana, 1.375 ounces and a second bag with 10.21 ounces of suspected marijuana. When questioned by Threadgill later, Ellis allegedly admitted to driving the Expedition, wrecking it and running away. He also reportedly admitted the marijuana and two firearms found were his.
Ellis reportedly stated an unknown male tried to sell him the firearms, but he was not going to pay for them so he "just stole" them. A computer check did not show that either gun had been reported stolen at that time. Ellis also reportedly said the pink jacket found belonged to him.
Local on 09/18/2018