An Oklahoma man has been charged in connection with a 2018 burglary in Hot Springs after fingerprints left at the scene were later matched to him by the state crime lab.
Sean Alan Thrift, 20, who lists a Muldrew, Okla., address, was served Saturday with a warrant for felony charges of residential burglary, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and theft of property firearms, punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of first-degree criminal mischief, punishable by up to one year in jail.
Thrift was in custody in the Crawford County Detention Center when he was served with the warrant and later extradited to Hot Springs. He was later released on $12,000 bond and is set to appear Aug. 27 in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Dec. 26, 2018, a local man, 45, reported a burglary at his apartment on Grove Street that occurred sometime on Christmas night. He said someone forced entry into the residence through a living room window, breaking the glass and causing an estimated $300 in damage.
The thief then removed a .380-caliber handgun valued at $350 and an older model .22-caliber handgun valued at $200.
Hot Springs police Detective John Hammons was able to collect latent prints from the window where the suspect entered and sent them to the state crime lab in Little Rock for analysis which later matched it to Thrift.
Hammons checked with the victim who confirmed he didn't know Thrift and he had no reason to be in his apartment. A warrant for Thrift's arrest was later issued on April 1.
• A reportedly intoxicated local man was arrested for allegedly breaking into another person's car after he was found sleeping in the passenger seat Sunday morning.
Claude William Clauson III, 58, who lists a Dickson Street address, was taken into custody shortly before 9 a.m. and charged with a felony count of breaking or entering, punishable by up to six years in prison, and a misdemeanor count of public intoxication.
He was being held on $3,000 bond and was set to appear Monday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, around 8:45 a.m. Sunday, police responded to the Ryder Wholesale, 1928 Albert Pike, regarding a white male breaking into a vehicle in the parking lot.
Upon arrival, officer Shawn Woodall made contact with a man, identified as Clauson, who was sleeping in the passenger front seat of one of the vehicles. Woodall said he had to shake Clauson awake and upon speaking with him noted he had a strong odor of intoxicants coming from him, bloodshot, watery eyes and slurred speech.
While walking him to his patrol unit, Woodall noted Clauson was "swaying back and forth" and tripped over his own feet. Once at the detention center, he reportedly registered 0.18 percent blood alcohol content, over twice the legal limit.
The affidavit notes there was no damage to the vehicle which had reportedly been left unlocked.
Local on 08/20/2019