Montgomery County News

Texas car thief captured after Polk County chase February 28, 2007 - No reporter cited

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office received a call on February 23, at 8:08 a.m. from Corner Express Cafe in Pencil Bluff reporting a stolen vehicle.

Edward Smith reported that his red Dodge, four-door pickup had been stolen about 10 minutes prior to the call for assistance. Smith stated that the truck was last seen traveling toward Mena on Highway 88 at a very high rate of speed. Smith also reported that his pistol was in the vehicle when it was stolen.

Sixteen minutes after the initial call, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office located the vehicle in that county. The driver fled from Polk County officers in the Dodge pickup at over 110 mph at times before hitting the stop strip which had been deployed to stop it.

After hitting the stop strip, the driver abandoned the Dodge truck and fled on foot into the woods north of the scene.

As the officers in Polk County were securing the vehicle, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office received another call from the Pencil Bluff area. The caller stated that a suspicious man had walked behind the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department building in Pencil Bluff minutes before Smith’s pickup was stolen.

The caller also reported a vehicle with Texas license plates parked at the Pencil Bluff fire station.

Investigator Meghan Janci with the 18th West Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and Senior Investigator Mike May with the 18th West Drug Task Force went to check on the vehicle.

After running the vehicle identification number through the ACIC/NCIC terminal, the officers were advised that the vehicle was reported stolen out of Pittsburg, Texas. The vehicle was processed and it was towed by Morrison’s Wrecker Service. A hold was placed on the vehicle due to the ongoing investigation.

Meanwhile, the driver of the stolen pickup was still at large in Polk County.

Polk County Sheriff Mike Oglesby called for a helicopter and search dogs in order to locate the driver. Various officers from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Mena Police Department, the US Forest Service, the Arkansas State Police, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the 18th West Drug Task Force, Game and Fish Commission officers and the Arkansas Highway Patrol had set up a perimeter around the suspect.

After an exhaustive search for the suspect, the officers were almost out of options. About 6:15 p.m., Mena Police Department officer Chris Spurling spotted the suspect in the woods. After a brief foot pursuit, Tommy Wayne Anderson, 37, of Bogota, Texas, was arrested and brought out of the woods.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies transported Anderson back to the jail in Mount Ida where he is currently charged with Theft of Property over $2,500, a Class B felony; Theft by Receiving over $2,500 , a Class B felony; and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a Class D felony. Anderson is being held on $25,000 bond, and he will be arraigned in Montgomery County Circuit Court on Friday, March 2. Deputy Sheriff Jarrett Scott brought the report to the newspaper, and stated that the investigation in ongoing into other aspects of the case.

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