Carjacker sentenced to 10 years

Clark
Clark

A Springdale man who carjacked a Hot Springs teen last summer shortly after trying to rob another man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to felony charges in Garland County Circuit Court.

Buford Allen Clark, 31, who has remained in custody in lieu of $1 million bond since his arrest Aug. 15, pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and criminal attempt at aggravated robbery and was sentenced to 10 years in prison on each count, to run concurrently, while an additional felony charge of kidnapping was withdrawn.

Clark, who was on parole at the time of his arrest, was set to stand trial today and could have faced up to life in prison.

According to the probable cause affidavit, on Aug. 14, Garland County sheriff's Cpl. Robbie Swinney was dispatched to Charlie's Pizza Pub, 127 McNeely Circle, off the 4400 block of Highway 7 north, in reference to an attempted robbery and while still en route was told about a stolen vehicle that had just occurred that was possibly connected.

An employee of Charlie's, 22, stated he had just got off work and was sitting in his car when a white male, later identified as Clark, approached him and began asking him questions about where he was from and then asked him for a ride to Mount Ida.

The employee told Clark he was headed to Little Rock and then Clark asked him if he had ever been robbed before or been in jail. The employee responded no to both questions and Clark said, "This is a robbery and I have a gun."

The employee noted Clark had "something with a black handle" wrapped in a black cloth tucked in his right boot. Clark asked him for his money and car keys, but at that point several other Charlie's employees came out and Clark fled behind the building toward the Shell gas station at 4401 Highway 7 north.

Moments later, Clark made contact with an 18-year-old male sitting in a gray 2003 Ford Escape at the Shell and asked him for a ride to the nearby Walmart. The male told Clark his parents were waiting on him and he couldn't take him.

At that point, Clark walked to the passenger side of the car and got in. The male stated he drove south on Highway 7 and Clark told him to stop and get $200 from an ATM and give it to him. He said he pulled into the Valero, 3371 Highway 7, and Clark again told him to "go pull out $200."

They both got out of the vehicle and the male said he tried to get back in so he could leave Clark there, but Clark jumped back in and told him he would kill him and he had a gun. He said he told Clark he "could not do this anymore" and Clark pulled a knife out of his boot and again threatened to kill him.

At that point, the male said he pulled over on the side of the road, about a quarter mile from the Valero, and got out and Clark drove off in the Escape, valued at $5,000.

Sheriff's investigators obtained video from Charlie's that showed a man approach the employee in his car and then leave headed toward the Shell station. Video from the Shell showed the same man approach the 18-year-old in his car, get in and drive away.

During this time, members of the community began sharing a still photo of the suspect from Charlie's video on Facebook.

Sgt. Greg Kellar was informed of a man matching the suspect's description parked at a residence on Ranch Estates Road in what appeared to be a Ford Escape. Kellar went there, but the vehicle was gone so he began checking other areas. He was told the vehicle had returned so Swinney set up near Warren Watson Road and Ranch Estates to watch for it.

The Escape passed by Swinney, who attempted to make a traffic stop, but the car sped away. Deputies attempted to follow the car but lost sight of it in the 900 block of Highway 128.

Deputies returned to the residence on Ranch Estates and spoke with a woman, 34, who said the driver of the Escape was "a guy named Ryan Clark." She said Clark had stolen the vehicle from Hot Springs Village and was driving it when he left.

She also noted Clark had changed clothes and gave deputies consent to search her residence where they located a shirt matching the one Clark was seen wearing during the earlier incidents. Investigators later obtained information from parole officials identifying the suspect as Clark and the 18-year-old later picked him out of a photo lineup.

Warrants were issued for Clark's arrest and he was taken into custody around 10 p.m. Aug. 15 in the Gravel Ridge community outside Sherwood by officers with Arkansas Community Correction's Special Response Team, Little Rock Violent Crime Apprehension Team, Arkansas State Police, Sherwood police and Garland County Sheriff's deputies.

Local on 03/20/2019

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