A man charged with stealing shoes from one business and a woman’s wallet from another pled guilty to the charges against him during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court on November 18.
Eighteen-year-old Javias Rankin, Jr. was sentenced to 36 months probation. He will be required to enter and complete a treatment program at a facility in Northeast Arkansas.
According to the probable cause affidavit, he is reported to have first taken a pair of white and green “Toy Story themed” crocs on July 19th from Shoe Sensation in Twin Lakes Plaza.
An odd detail reported in the probable cause affidavit is that the Crocs were of different sizes. The left foot was size 11 and the right size 10.
The store manager told police when reporting the incident that they had video taken by a surveillance camera showing a male taking the shoes.
She also reported that the “ink tag” was found the day after the alleged theft took place. The tags are a form of loss prevention. If the tag is forcefully removed from an item, ink vials will shatter soaking the product and rendering it of little value to the thief.
SECOND INCIDENT
On July 20 mountain home police officers responded to Hobby Lobby in Twin Lakes Plaza where a woman’s wallet had been taken out of her purse that was sitting in her shopping cart.
There was also video from a surveillance camera showing the Hobby Lobby theft occurring. A photograph of the suspect was distributed to other officers in the area with a BOLO request.
The victim described her wallet as being black in color and told police the contents included gift cards from Walmart, Barnes and Noble, and Lowes.
In addition, the victim’s social security card, driver’s license, insurance cards and a credit card were also in the wallet.
Another MHPD officer reported he had seen the suspect running and eventually crossing U.S. Highway 62 and headed toward Lakeview Auto Sales.
The officer said the man had “almost caused multiple wrecks” and had come close to being run over himself as he dashed across the busy highway.
Officers spotted Rankin walking behind Lakeview Auto Sales, but as an officer approached, Rankin took off running again.
Even after the officer identified himself and ordered Rankin to halt, the suspect kept trying to escape arrest. He was reported to have jumped fences and run through a number of yards.
At points during the foot chase, various officers fired stun guns at the fleeing Rankin but the probes either missed or had no effect.
He was finally apprehended at an address along Redbud. Rankin told the officers he was trying to get to his aunt’s house near Taco Bell. He then asked for a ride to a friend’s residence but was told he was under arrest and would not be taken anywhere except to jail.
Officers reported finding discarded items along Rankin’s route. Some were suspected of being from the stores where robberies had been reported and possibly other business that had not yet made reports.
Some of the items from the wallet taken at Hobby Lobby had not been located at the time the probable cause affidavit was written.
Rankin was booked on charges including theft of property, refusal to submit to arrest, fleeing on foot, disorderly conduct, obstructing governmental operations and criminal trespass.
He was sentenced under the provision of Act 346, commonly known as the first offender’s law, which means he can apply to have his record sealed if he successfully completes his probation, including going through the treatment program.
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