Sheila Bryant and Tyler Burns (Photos courtesy of Izard County Sheriff’s Office)
Two Izard County residents are facing numerous charges for break-ins to multiple storage units and a residential shop. Thirty-two-year-old Sheila Bryant and 33-year-old Tyler Burns, both of Horseshoe Bend, are in the Izard County County Detention Center with bond set at $20,000 each.
According to the probable cause affidavit, an Izard County deputy was advised by dispatch on Sept. 1 of a report of the money drop box being broken into at storage units on Arkansas Highway 289 in Horseshoe Bend. The deputy met with the male making the report at the units and noticed the locking mechanism on the lock box was busted, and the lock was on the ground. The complainant stated with it being the beginning of the month, the box could have contained anywhere between $400 and $500 in checks and as much as $100 in cash.
The deputy and the complainant then walked around and noticed nine storage units were broken into. The complainant contacted the renters of the units.
Six days later, another deputy went to a residence on Highway 289 in Horseshoe Bend for another break-in report. The deputy met with the victim, who advised someone broke into his shop and took items inside, and he noticed because he found a backpack and a BB gun that he owned laying in the grass behind the shop.
The victim claimed he started looking around and noticed another backpack and most of his survival gear were missing. He also discovered he was missing an air rifle with a scope, bows and arrows, a box of antiques, knives, lamp items, fishing reels and poles and other fishing gear. The victim’s wife stated a jewelry pendant, earrings and a ring round set were also missing.
The deputy said he saw a male walking in a trailer park on Sept. 4 with a backpack similar to the one described by the victim. The next day, the deputy received a call from the code enforcement officer advising there was a male wearing a backpack appearing to duck into a residence on North Bend, which was abandoned.
On Sept. 8, two Izard County investigators were advised by a deputy a male subject had been detained at the Horseshoe Bend Animal Shelter due to the discovery of a stolen backpack containing numerous items, including a debit card. A male and female were discovered in proximity to the backpack, sneaking into the woods behind the shelter. The subjects were later identified as Burns and Bryant.
One of the investigators stated neither Burns nor Bryant had a consistent explanation for the possession of the backpack. Bryant reportedly told the other investigator Burns had it for over a month but didn’t know where it was from. Burns then claimed his brother gave it to him six years ago in Tennessee, but he changed his story and said another male had given him the backpack and a new chainsaw worth $1,000 a couple of days prior.
Burns said the chainsaw was at his residence on East Ridge. He reportedly claimed the male wanted to by a dirt bike from him, so he took the backpack and chainsaw as a down payment. The investigator noted the victim had reported a chainsaw missing along with the backpack.
The investigator stated Bryant had various items in her possession, including a ball of yarn and articles of jewelry. Her purse contained an envelope with another name and address on it, and the owner of the starage units confirmed it was the name of one of his tenants.
Burns was taken to jail, and Bryant was transported to the residence for a home visit to obtain the chainsaw. Investigators located over 30 items reported stolen by the victim, including the jewelry belonging to his wife. The jewelry container reportedly had a plastic baggie containing a white crystalline substance field testing positive for methamphetamine. Bryant claimed she was trying to sell it to make money for probation.
Authorities also discovered two glass smoking devices with burnt crystalline residue field testing positive for methamphetamine in the bedroom. They also found an unlabled bottle of 14 pills identified as carisoprodol, a Schedule IV narcotic.
Bryant stated the male Burns identified had brought the stolen items to their residence. She later said she and Burns met the male on the side of the road, and she wheeled the items home on a dolly. Burns said the male brought the items to their residence, and they never met on the side of the road.
The investigators went to retrieve camera footage at the storage units, but they discovered it was broken off the tree. It was later found in a duffel bag containing more of the property of the storage unit tenant. When confronted about the camera, Bryant admitted she lied about the other male. She later asked for an attorney.
Burns and Bryant are facing two felony counts of theft by receiving, one felony count each of possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), breaking or entering and tampering with physical evidence and misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, theft by receiving and theft of property. They also face enhancements as habitual offenders.
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