Suspect in attack at store arrested
A Little Rock man suspected of striking a store employee to get a bank deposit was arrested Monday, Little Rock police said.
Mario Johnson, 21, was arrested on a warrant and charged with second-degree battery and aggravated robbery. He was being held at the Pulaski County jail in lieu of a $25,000 bond.
About 8:30 a.m. May 18, a Shoe Carnival employee left the store at 12801 Chenal Parkway and locked the front doors to make a bank deposit, police said. A man tried to grab the woman’s purse with the bank deposit, dislocating her shoulder, and he then struck her in the face and head several times, police said. She was taken to Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock and treated for minor injuries, the police report said.
Others at nearby stores saw the attack and went out to help pry the robber off the employee, police said. Two of the witnesses chased the robber, at which point he pulled up his shirt, showing a handgun in his waistband, police said.
The robber got into a Buick LeSabre, where another man displayed a handgun and told them to let the robber go, according to an affidavit.
A witness gave officers the car’s license plate number, and detectives linked it to Burton Walker Jr. who said he let “Mario,” also known as “Mojo,” and Reginald White borrow his car, the affidavit states. Johnson had called Walker the day of the robbery and said he wrecked the car, police said.
Further investigation led police detectives to Johnson, and the store employee and witnesses identified him in a photo lineup, police said. Johnson admitted to beating and trying to rob the woman, but told officers he did not have a gun, according to the arrest report.
Hotel room search yields drugs, gun
Little Rock police arrested a Wrightsville man after executing a search warrant at a motel room Monday, according to an arrest report.
Jeremy Sanders, 27, was arrested and charged with possession of PCP, possession of a firearm by certain persons and simultaneous possession of drugs and guns. He was taken to the Pulaski County jail, where he was being held in lieu of a $20,000 bond.
About 5:20 p.m., police searched Sanders’ room at America’s Best Value Inn at 7900 Scott Hamilton Drive where they found a quarter-full bottle of PCP, an illegal psychedelic drug, and a 9mm pistol, police said. Sanders is a convicted felon, the arrest report states.
Bryant man, 22, arrested in holdup
A Bryant man was arrested Sunday, two months after police said he struck another man in the head and stole cash from him.
Marlon Watkins, 22, was arrested on a warrant and charged with aggravated robbery and theft of property. He was taken to the Pulaski County jail, where he was being held in lieu of a $15,000 bond.
Watkins is accused of striking a 47-year-old man in the head with a gun near 4710 Asher Ave. on April 18, according to an arrest report. Watkins took $500 from the man, who needed “several staples” in his head to close the wound, police said.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 06/26/2013