POLICE BEAT: Suspect arrested in vandalism at North Little Rock police building; machete attack reported at Little Rock homeless camp

Suspect arrested in NLR vandalism

A man was arrested after glass doors and windows of the North Little Rock Police and Courts Building and parole office were vandalized Thursday night, according to a news release.

The man, wearing a white T-shirt and carrying a tire iron, was caught on camera as he exited a Honda Accord, approached the door of the parole office at 2657 Pike Ave. and struck the glass door twice, causing little or no damage, according to the release and video surveillance.

The man then reportedly drove to the Police and Courts Building at 200 W. Pershing Blvd., where he damaged glass doors and shattered several windows, the news release said. In both instances, he did not attempt to enter the buildings.

Sgt. Amy Cooper said Saturday that the man had been identified as Tommy Laron McDowell, 44. He was arrested "during the overnight hours" on two counts of first-degree criminal mischief, a felony, in the Thursday night vandalism and a previous incident at the Police and Courts Building on April 14, she said.

McDowell was being held at the Pulaski County jail Saturday afternoon, and no bail had been set.

Machete attack reported at camp

A 54-year-old man told investigators he was jumped and cut with a machete at a homeless camp in Little Rock on Thursday morning.

The victim said it happened shortly before 11:30 a.m. at a camp in the 3900 block of Oak Park Drive, which is southwest of Colonel Glenn Road and University Avenue.

According to a Little Rock Police Department report, the victim said he was arguing with two others "over him staying in the homeless camp" and was about to leave when "both of the suspects [jumped] on him and started hitting him."

One of the men was said to be armed with a machete, and the victim was cut once on the shoulder during the assault. He was taken to Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock for treatment of a wound described in the report as a severe laceration.

The report identified one of the suspected attackers by name and the other by a nickname. There was no indication either man had been arrested at the time of the report.

Man says robber had knife, scrubs

A 51-year-old man told police he was robbed in Little Rock's River Market District on Wednesday night by an assailant wearing green scrubs and wielding a knife, according to a police report.

Officers said they were patrolling the area shortly after 11:30 p.m. when they were flagged down by the victim in a parking lot at 100 River Market Ave.

He told authorities the robber took his sleeping mat and a pack of cigarettes before walking away. According to the report, the knife-wielder was a slim black male with a receding hairline who stands about 6 feet 3 inches tall and was wearing green scrubs.

Officers noted that the 51-year-old "appeared very agitated."

No suspect was named, and no arrests had been made at the time of the report.

LR eatery's safe robbed of $2,000

An intruder made off with $2,000 from the safe of a west Little Rock Tex-Mex chain restaurant either Wednesday night or Thursday morning, authorities said.

Police were called early Thursday to the Moe's Southwest Grill at 12312 Chenal Parkway after a manager arrived and discovered the theft.

According to a Little Rock Police Department report, the intruder left behind no signs of forced entry on the business or its safe and also entered a code to disable the alarm. The office was left in disarray, police noted.

The business was reportedly working to retrieve surveillance captured on the security system.

No arrests had been made at the time of the report, and no suspect information was listed.

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Metro on 06/24/2018

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