A homeless man was arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges early Thursday after allegedly accosting a woman on her front porch and stealing her suitcase.
Charles John Medeiros, 32, who listed "city streets" as his address, was taken into custody around 7:15 a.m. and charged with a felony count of theft of a debit card, punishable by up to six years in prison, and misdemeanor counts of third-degree assault, theft of property and obstructing government operations.
Medeiros, who also had two warrants for failure to appear, was being held on $8,500 bond and was set to appear Friday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, a female resident in the 300 block of Park Avenue told Hot Springs police she had exited her apartment around 7 a.m. and found a man, later identified as Medeiros, standing in front of her apartment who asked to use her phone.
She said she told him she does not let anyone use her phone and the man got on a bicycle and "rode towards her quickly." She said as she was about to step off her porch, he attempted to slap her as he rode by, but she was able to "duck away from his swing" and was not hit.
The rear wheel of his bicycle fell off and he fell to the ground, she said, noting he then got up, ran up to her porch and took her red and black roller suitcase and fled on foot up Crest Street. Police found the bicycle in front of the residence and located Medeiros on Crest Street and took him into custody.
He initially gave a false name and date of birth, but was later identified. Inside a bag he had in his possession police found the victim's wallet, ID, debit card and cellphone. Numerous food items were also located in the bag that the victim said she was taking to the Senior Citizens Center on Broadway.
The affidavit notes Medeiros had an abrasion on his left elbow, "consistent with falling off a bicycle onto asphalt."
According to court records, Medeiros pleaded guilty on March 11 to a felony count of theft by receiving over $5,000 and was sentenced to five years' probation and fined $1,000.
• A traffic stop on a stolen vehicle resulted in the arrest Thursday night of a parole absconder on several felony charges.
Kevin Dewon Cohns, 45, who lists a Lakeland Drive address, was taken into custody shortly after 7 p.m. and charged with theft by receiving over $5,000, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to six years.
Cohns, who also had warrants for failure to appear and parole violations, was being held on local bonds totaling $9,500 and a zero bond parole hold. He appeared via video Friday in district court and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A felony review hearing is now set for Nov. 4.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly after 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Officer Jason Greene saw a gray Chevrolet Equinox stopped in front of a residence in the 100 block of Centerview Street blocking traffic.
He ran the license plate and determined the vehicle, valued at $13,500, had been reported stolen out of Little Rock. He made a traffic stop on the vehicle and identified the driver and sole occupant as Cohns. A computer check showed he had an expired driver's license and the warrants for his arrest.
In searching him, Greene reportedly found a used meth pipe in his sock. Cohns reportedly told him he had bought the car in Little Rock, but couldn't say where or from whom he bought it and had no paperwork.
After his arrest, officers were inventorying the car and found a loose panel on the driver's side center console which they removed to find another glass meth pipe, two sets of digital scales and a black ski mask.
Local on 10/12/2019