A man listed as one of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted suspects is in custody in Izard County.
Joshua David Whitworth, aka Fat-Boy, who is affiliated with the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas and is considered armed and dangerous, was taken into custody Wednesday morning after an all-night manhunt.
Stone County Chief Deputy Dammon McGilton says he received information Monday from the Texas Department of Public Safety that Whitworth was in the Stone County area.
“On Tuesday, I learned he might be in the Allison — Sylamore area and went to the area looking for him. I located a vehicle of (the) description we had been given on Dogwood Hollow Road in Izard County. When I went to exit my vehicle to confront him on felony warrants, he threw the vehicle in reverse and hit a tree. I went to place him under arrest and methamphetamine fell from his hoodie along with his phone. After a brief struggle the suspect was able to get away. I immediately contacted Izard County, Stone County, and the Mountain View Police Department for assistance.”
Around 12:35 a.m. Chief Deputy Charley Melton was notified, and Izard County officers assisted in the search.
“At one point Whitworth was spotted on an ATV, which he later abandoned and fled on foot. He was spotted around 9 a.m. this (Wednesday) morning and taken into custody without incident,” Melton says.
He was then transported to the Izard County Sheriff’s Office and is expected to face charges of possession of meth, theft of property, resisting arrest and fleeing.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Whitworth has a long history of criminal activities and is wanted for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, delivery of meth and cocaine, theft and parole violation.
In 2013, he was convicted and sentenced on charges of unlawful possession of metal or body armor by a felon and evading arrest.
In 2018, he was arrested in Arkansas for delivery of methamphetamine and cocaine and later bonded out and returned to Texas.
In 2019, he was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and sentenced to two years of confinement. He was released on parole in July 2020. The following month, the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole issued a parole violation warrant for Whitworth’s arrest.
On Dec.3, 2020, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for his arrest for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. He is also wanted in Montgomery County Texas for burglary of a vehicle.
McGilton and Melton thanked the Mountain View Police Department, the 16th Judicial Drug Task Force, Arkansas Game and Fish and the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office for the use of its helicopter. A special thanks to the Arkansas Department of Correction dog team and tracking dog Gracie.
“Whitworth has a long criminal history. One of Texas’ Most Wanted was apprehended because of joint teamwork between adjoining counties and additional agencies,” Melton says.
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