One of three men who allegedly attacked and robbed another man, taking fishing rods and money, was arrested Sunday night on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.
James Joseph Hanlin Jr., 42, who lists a South Harris Road address in Pearcy, was taken into custody shortly after 8:30 p.m. and charged with felony counts of aggravated robbery, punishable by up to life in prison, possession of meth with purpose to deliver, punishable by up to 30 years, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to six and 20 years, and a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana with purpose to deliver.
Hanlin was initially held on a zero bond but appeared via video Monday afternoon in Garland County District Court where he pleaded not guilty to the charges, and Judge Ralph Ohm set his bond at $15,000. Ohm also issued a court order barring Hanlin from contact with the alleged victim and with his alleged accomplice. Hanlin was later released on bond and is set to appear for a felony review hearing on Aug. 19.
According to the probable cause affidavit, at around 8:15 p.m. Sunday Garland County sheriff's Deputy John Crow was dispatched to the 100 block of Kreylon Drive regarding a disturbance in progress and while en route was advised a suspect had just fled the scene in a white work van headed toward North Moore Road.
Deputy Charles Delahunt spotted the vehicle on North Moore and made a traffic stop on it, so Crow continued to the scene on Kreylon where he learned all the people involved in the disturbance had apparently fled.
He spoke to a woman and her juvenile son who stated they had seen two men, later determined to be Hanlin and a second known suspect, 43, striking a white male, 34, with a long, blunt object. Then one of the men picked up what appeared to be a piece of asphalt and threw it at the victim while saying they were going to kill him.
She said a third person then broke out the windows of the victim's vehicle. The woman's son told Crow he saw the victim get into his vehicle and drive away, traveling through the front yard of a nearby residence. He also pointed out the piece of asphalt nearby, which Crow collected as evidence.
Crow then went by the location where Delahunt had stopped the work van and noted he had three people detained, including Hanlin, another man, 40, and a 19-year-old female.
Hanlin reportedly told Crow the alleged victim had been selling meth to his wife and admitted he "put his hands on him" believing he was there to try to sell meth to his daughter. He said when the victim fled he threw a black bag of "drugs" out of the window. Hanlin claimed he picked up the bag and put it in the rear of his van, hidden behind a mattress.
Crow checked the van and located a black zippered bag behind a mattress that contained a baggie of what later tested positive for meth, 64.3 grams, and another baggie of marijuana, 7.1 grams, digital scales and two glass meth pipes. He also found eight fishing rods in the rear of the van.
Crow was then notified by a dispatcher the victim would meet with him and made contact with him at the intersection of South Pearcy and Airport roads. The man said he had gone to the residence on Kreylon to purchase a motorcycle and that a known suspect, 43, had struck him in the back of the head with a metal pipe, causing him to lose consciousness.
He said when he woke up a man who identified himself as "Gator" picked up a rock and threw it at him, hitting him in the left elbow. Then the first suspect, "Gator" and a third unknown white male removed five fishing rods from his vehicle and about $350 in cash which he had on his person.
The victim stated the first name of the man he knew as "Gator" was James and described his tattoos and noted he was not wearing a shirt. The description reportedly matched that of Hanlin. The affidavit notes the victim sustained scrapes to his right knee and both elbows, had bruising and swelling to his right forearm, scrapes and bruising on his back, and was complaining of pain to the back of his head.
The victim told Crow he was going to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs for treatment. Hanlin was taken into custody and later interviewed by investigators resulting in the felony and misdemeanor charges being filed against him.
Local on 07/10/2019