By Tia Lyons
Staff Writer
EL DORADO — A man robbed a local pizza restaurant at gunpoint Monday, making off with an undetermined amount of cash, according to an El Dorado police report.
Officers were called at 8:48 p.m. to Pizza Hut, 337 W. Hillsboro, in reference to a robbery that had just occurred.
An employee told officers that a man ordered a pizza and attempted to pay with a $100 bill.
The employee said that when she told him she couldn’t make change for $100, he went outside, returned minutes later and waited in line with other customers.
The suspect then approached the counter produced a silver, snub-nosed revolver from the right side of the pocket on his hoodie and demanded “all the money from the cash register,” the employee said.
The employee said she opened the cash register drawer, and the suspect reached inside and took cash, including $50, $20, $10, and $5 bills.
She raised the cash-register drawer and looked underneath it, noting there was not any money underneath the drawer.
The suspect then reportedly exited the west door of the business.
He was described as a black male wearing a blue hoodie and light blue jeans.
A witness provided additional suspect information, including a possible nickname.
Stabbing
A 47-year-old man was stabbed multiple times during an alleged altercation on April 21, according to a police report.
Officers responded to a residence in the 1300 block of East Cedar and found Ronald F. King bleeding from stab wounds to the abdomen, right hand, right arm and lower right side of his back.
King told police that he was walking along Short East Hillsboro behind Southern Classic Chicken, 1112 E. Hillsboro, when a “subject” began calling his name.
King said he approached the “subject,” and the person began stabbing him.
He was transported by ambulance to Medical Center of South Arkansas for treatment.
Police said King’s injuries were not life threatening, and he was admitted to the hospital and held overnight for observation.
King would not provide a description of the suspect, and police said they did not find any evidence indicating that an attack had occurred in the area cited by King.
While speaking with hospital workers, King reportedly provided a different account of the incident, saying that a relative had stabbed him during a dispute over money the relative owed him.
Another relative identified a possible suspect, police said.
Break-Ins
Three El Dorado teens were arrested early Tuesday morning after officers responded to a report of someone attempting to break into vehicles at a local motel.
A fourth person was found underneath a truck while police were checking the area surrounding LaQuinta Inn., 2303 Junction City Road.
Further details indicating if the person was suspected in the attempted break-ins or if the person was immediately taken into custody were not available Tuesday afternoon.
Officers were called to LaQuinta at approximately 3 a.m., and upon arrival, they saw three people running toward them.
Police ordered the trio onto the ground. Two complied, and the third, who kept running, was apprehended after a brief foot chase, officers said.
Police later identified them as three boys, two 16 and one 15.
The incident is the latest in a series of such incidents that have been reportedly recently at hotels on the city’s east side.
Three break-ins and a vehicle theft were reported on April 21 at three hotels, including LaQuinta.
Officers received near-simultaneous calls about the theft and recovery of a silver, 2008 Nissan Exterra.
A Jonesboro man told officers that the vehicle was stolen from Econolodge, 1920 Junction City Road.
The keys were inside the vehicle at the time, the man said, noting that he thought he had locked the doors.
He said $1,500 cash had been inside a lock-box in the SUV.
Several hand tools had been removed from the vehicle and placed on the ground in the spot where the SUV had been parked, the man said.
Just prior to responding to the vehicle-theft report, officers were dispatched to a wooded area off Short East Hillsboro and Cherry in reference to an abandoned vehicle with its hazard lights flashing.
Officers found information identifying the owner of the SUV, the Jonesboro man, and requested that the vehicle be towed from the area.
A police report did not indicate that the cash was still inside the SUV.
On the same day, a Louann man told officers that someone had entered his vehicle at Comfort Inn and Suites, 2309 Junction City Road, and stolen a handgun.
Two men — one from Athens, Texas, and the other from Thibodaux, Louisiana — also reported vehicle break-ins at LaQuinta Inn.
The Texas man said a pair of gaming goggles were missing from his truck, and he found them on the ground a few feet away.
He also said several items were strewn inside the truck.
The Louisiana man reported a similar scenario regarding the break-in of his company truck, which belonged to Utility Lines Construction Service.
He said items were strewn about the vehicle, and a utility safety belt containing several tools that had been inside the truck were found on the ground behind a dump truck nearby.
The man said he was not sure if he had locked the truck.
Police said surveillance video showed four black males on the rear parking lot of LaQuinta between 4 and 4:15 a.m. on April 21.
The males appeared to be checking vehicles to see if the doors were unlocked, according to a police report.
Police did not say if they believe the three boys who were arrested Tuesday were connected to the incidents that were reported on April 21.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at [email protected].