A Mountain Home man was arrested following reports of stolen property. Forty-one-year-old James Lally is facing charges of theft of property and criminal mischief for allegedly cutting catalytic converters off church vans.According to the probable cause affidavit, on April 15, 2021, officers responded to a report of catalytic converters cut off two church vans. The vans were located at a home directly behind the church. The damage for the cut-off converters was estimated to cost a minimum of $5,000.
During further investigation, officers discovered a road grader owned by the city with the muffler cut off behind the home. The muffler was left on the scene and authorities believed it was cut by accident, thinking it was a catalytic converter.
Between the crime scenes, a pair of greasy, rust-covered gloves were found folded and rolled up together. The gloves were sent to the crime lab for possible DNA comparison, and on April 18 of this year, the Arkansas State Crime Lab sent confirmation of a DNA match testing positive for Lally. Investigators considered Lally a suspect at the time due to his recent arrests and convictions for similar crimes around the same time period.
Lally was booked into the Baxter County Detention Center on a felony count of theft of property and three misdemeanor count of first-degree criminal mischief. He is currently being held on a $13,685 bond.
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