A man claiming he was trying to break up a fight between two males by crashing a vehicle belonging to one of the combatants into an SUV owned by someone not involved in the fight appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court last Monday.
Thirty-four-year-old Tony Craig Gall pled guilty to a criminal mischief and was sentenced to 36 months-probation and ordered to pay $4,000 in victim restitution.
Gall has been a fugitive since he failed to show up for a January 23 appearance in circuit court. A failure to appear arrest warrant was served on him May 17.
On August 15 last year, a Baxter County sheriff’s deputy responded to a report of a fight at a residence along County Road 69.
When he arrived on scene, he was told that Gall had used an unusual method to break up the altercation.
The deputy was told Gall had gotten into a vehicle belonging to one of the participants in the fight and crashed it into a vehicle that was owned by a third party not involved in the fisticuffs.
Gall said his plan worked and he did manage to stop the fight but ended up doing heavy damage to the vehicles.
The owner of the vehicle used as a battering ram said he did not want to pursue charges against Gall but the owner of the 2000 Ford Explorer Gall hit said he did.
According to the probable cause affidavit, damage to the Explorer was estimated at about $4,000.
NEW CHARGE OF INTERFERING WITH CUSTODY
Gall also faces a new charge of interfering with custody in St. Francis County in Eastern Arkansas.
According to the probable cause affidavit he was found to have a 15-year-old male runaway from Jacksonville, Florida traveling with him.
Investigators determined the minor’s mother had legal custody and had not given permission for her teenage son to leave with Gall.
Gall said he hitchhiked to Florida, met with the 15-year-old, and they decided to “get out of Florida,” took a bus and ended up in Georgia.
Gall said he initially contacted the minor on internet platforms while staying in Mississippi. Gall said they “chatted” for six-to-eight-months before arrangements were made for him to meet the boy in Florida.
Gall said he did not return the boy to his mother because the teen “didn’t want to be there because of the abuse.”
Gall, the 15-year-old and two other people were eventually arrested in St. Francis, County.
When Gall told investigators about the route he and the 15-year-old had taken it involved stops in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi and Tennessee.
As he had done in Baxter County, Gall failed to appear in St. Francis County Circuit Court in the interference with custody case and a failure to appear arrest warrant was issued on April 17. The warrant is still active according to court records.
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