An 27-year-old inmate released from the Pulaski County jail was booked in again on a new charge Thursday after he refused to leave the property, authorities said.
Willie Harris Jr., who has been arrested 15 times since 2004 — including six times this year and four of those this week alone — remained in the facility Friday morning on a charge of criminal trespass, Pulaski County sheriff's office spokesman Lt. Carl Minden said.
Police say Harris had just been freed Thursday afternoon when he refused to leave the release area and started causing a disturbance, saying he had killed his son. Deputies responded, determined the claim about the son was false and then escorted Harris off the property.
"I advised Harris to leave the jail property and not return or else he would be arrested for Criminal Trespassing," Pulaski County sheriff's office Sgt. Martin Marler wrote in a report, noting he watched as Harris walked off the property, turned around and head back. "Within a couple moments, Harris was back on the jail property, walking up the same driveway I was on. I drove up to him and asked him where he was going. He pointed towards the jail and said 'I'm going back up there.'"
He was then arrested and booked in once again.
Harris' time in the jail this week started early Tuesday with an arrest on charges of public intoxication and violation of a protection order.
He was released at 10:30 a.m. the next day but booked in just four hours later on a criminal-trespass charge from North Little Rock, Minden said.
Harris was released at 9:40 p.m. that night, only to be arrested at 6:10 a.m. Thursday on charges of public intoxication and criminal trespass.
He was released on those charges at 11:40 a.m. before the most recent arrest.
Minden said it's not clear why Harris didn't want to leave.