An alleged shoplifter sought on prior warrants was arrested on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after a short vehicle pursuit by Hot Springs police Sunday.
Holly Bee Hudgins, 51, was taken into custody shortly before 2 p.m. and charged with felony counts of fleeing and possession of drug paraphernalia, each punishable by up to six years in prison, and misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and theft of property, punishable by up to one year in jail.
Hudgins, who also had warrants from October for felony theft of property and misdemeanor fraudulent use of a credit or debit card, remained in custody Monday in lieu of bonds totaling $10,500 and was set to appear that afternoon in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, officer Brian Branstetter was inside the loss prevention office at Walmart, 1601 Albert Pike, when he heard an employee yelling that a woman had stolen merchandise and was running. He stepped out and an employee pointed out a white female running north across the parking lot.
Branstetter caught up to the woman as she got into the driver's seat of a white Ford Escape and opened the driver's door trying to stop her. He said she looked back at him and then sped forward, narrowly missing a woman and a young girl, and then proceeded out of the lot toward Albert Pike at a high rate of speed.
Officer Robert Plyler, responding to an alert from Branstetter, was approaching the entrance to Walmart and saw the suspect vehicle pull onto Albert Pike headed west and turned around to make a traffic stop, activating his lights and siren. The woman, later identified as Hudgins, allegedly refused to stop.
She accelerated and continued at a high rate of speed onto Hammond Drive and then onto Cash Street, finally pulling into the driveway of a residence in the 300 block of Highline Street where she jumped out and ran toward the front door.
Plyler said he was able to catch her as she reached the front of the residence where a white male was opening the door for her. He noted he took her to the ground where she continued to fight and resist him.
After about a minute of fighting, he was able to take her into custody. During a search of her purse and person, the officer allegedly found makeup and women's underwear that had been taken from the store and she allegedly admitted to shoplifting the items. A further search of her purse reportedly uncovered a syringe with liquid residue.
A computer check revealed the prior warrants for her arrest which involved unauthorized transactions made to a local man's credit card on Oct. 16, 2017. Hudgins was identified as a suspect after police posted surveillance photos from the transactions on social media.
Local on 12/12/2017