TWO CAUGHT TRYING TO STEAL COUNTY TRUCK

Pine Bluff Commercial

Ray King/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF

April 28 2009

9:15 pm

A Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputy leaving the adult detention center Sunday became suspicious when he saw a group of men pushing a pickup down the street, and even more suspicious when he saw a county decal on the side of the truck.

Within a few minutes, two of those men, Matthew Dillard, 18, and Matthew Jordan, 20, were under arrest for theft of property. Authorities are still searching for two other men who ran from the scene.

Reading from an affidavit from sheriff’s Lt. Steve McFatridge during a court hearing Monday, Deputy Prosecutor Jill Reed said Cpl. Andy Hoots was in the area of Fourth Avenue and Alabama Street at about noon Sunday when he saw three men pushing the pickup, and a fourth man behind the wheel of the vehicle.

Reed said the men ran when they saw Hoots, who caught Jordan at Fourth Avenue and Pine Street. Dillard was arrested by Pine Bluff officer Ralph Issac at Fifth Avenue and Walnut Street a few minutes later.

McFatridge reported that the truck had been parked across from the detention center and would not run, but was being kept for parts. It was valued at more than $500.

Reed said Dillard and Jordan, who are cousins, have pending charges of attempted commercial burglary and criminal mischief, stemming from an arrest in 2008.

Circuit Judge Jodi Dennis set bonds of $2,500 for each of the two, and told them to come back to court May 11.

Also Monday, Dennis set a $2,500 bond for James C. Williams, 62, after ruling prosecutors had probable cause to charge him with second-degree forgery.

An affidavit from Detective Bill Wiegand reported that Williams had gone to Pine Bluff National Bank on Friday and tried to cash a check that had been reported stolen.

Reed said Williams claimed he had gotten the check from a woman, but admitted he signed the name of the account holder on the check.

Williams told the court he would represent himself.