A local teen who fled from Hot Springs police in a vehicle and on foot last summer was sentenced to six years in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to felony fleeing and a drug charge.
Christopher Deshawn Stewart, 19, was set to stand trial next week in Garland County Circuit Court but opted to plead guilty to fleeing and possession of marijuana with purpose to deliver and was sentenced to six years on each count, to run concurrently, while an additional felony charge of possession of drug paraphernalia was withdrawn.
Stewart, who lists a West Belding Street address, was also fined $2,000 and ordered to pay $565 in court costs.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on July 29, 2018, shortly before 7:30 p.m., Officer Jonathan Smith spotted a black 2006 Ford Crown Victoria with illegally tinted windows driving carelessly while southbound on Seventh Street.
He said he attempted unsuccessfully to catch up to the vehicle, but it was traveling at a high rate of speed as it continued onto Alpine Street past numerous people standing by their vehicles "with indifference to the value of human life."
Smith activated his lights and then his siren as the vehicle continued along several residential streets without stopping and lost sight of the vehicle at one point as it turned onto Audubon Street. He turned to follow and located the vehicle stopped on the side of the street with the passenger side door open.
After determining the vehicle was empty, Smith retrieved his police dog, Bear, and began a track from the passenger door. A few minutes later, a dispatcher advised that a witness had seen a man matching the driver's description forcing entry to the rear crawl space area of a residence on Leonard Street.
Smith said he reached the crawl space area and gave verbal commands for the suspect to come out with his hands up and warned he would release Bear, but the commands were ignored.
Bear was released but was unable to make his way around the HVAC ductwork under the house so Smith brought him back out. Officers continued searching and finally located the driver, identified as Stewart, hiding in a corner of the crawl space and took him into custody without further incident.
On the ground near where Stewart was hiding officers found a baggie with 26.1 grams of marijuana and found $135 in cash in his pocket. In his vehicle, they found numerous baggies with marijuana residue and a set of scales.
Local on 09/20/2019