A post on Twitter advertising a gun for sale led to the arrest of a local teen on a felony theft charge after it was determined the gun was reportedly stolen.
Ethan Riley Delbert, 19, who lists a Rambler Circle address, was taken into custody around 3:30 p.m. and charged with theft by receiving, punishable by up to six years in prison, and a misdemeanor count of public intoxication.
Delbert, who lists no prior felony history, was being held on a $3,000 bond and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court. According to court records, Delbert pleaded guilty on Dec. 6, 2021, to misdemeanor charges of driving while intoxicated, drugs, and possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to one year of probation.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on May 8, a local woman reported the theft of a purple Ruger LCP .380 handgun and a Ruger 9-mm handgun from her home.
On Tuesday, the woman's grandson located her stolen Ruger .380 being advertised for sale on Twitter by Delbert. The grandson requested to see the pistol and Delbert reportedly sent him a video.
On Wednesday, the woman provided Hot Springs police with the video and a screenshot of Delbert's advertisement. The video showed a purple Ruger LCP with a serial number that matched the one belonging to the woman.
A warrant was issued for Delbert's arrest and he was taken into custody when he showed up to district court on an unrelated matter. He was also charged with public intoxication.