Smackover man arrested in connection with stolen property

News-Times
News-Times

A Smackover man was arrested in Felsenthal on Wednesday on suspicion of felony possession of stolen property and misdemeanor fleeing the scene.

Christopher Tyler Gatheright, 19, 209 W. 12th St., was allegedly found by police in possession of a stolen four-wheeler and then fled the scene along Dollar Junction Road in the Felsenthal area.

According to the report, a sheriff’s deputy was patrolling Dollar Junction Road when he saw Gatheright on the side of the road with a black truck that was pulling a trailer with a blue Kawasaki Brute Force four-wheeler. After describing the four-wheeler to dispatch, a Smackover officer said the four-wheeler sounded like one that was stolen the night before.

According to the report, after checking for outstanding warrants, the officer asked Gatheright where he got the vehicle and he said he bought it from someone.

The deputy noted in the report that Gatheright seemed to become increasingly nervous and was asked to sit in the patrol car while they finished checking out the four-wheeler, but he ran into the woods.

After Gatheright ran, the deputy asked a female passenger about what she knew concerning the four-wheeler. According to the report, she said Gatheright had it when he picked her up but had pulled over and asked her to drive the truck into Felsenthal and he would drive the four-wheeler. She said he told her that he would meet her in town.

He was putting the ramps down to take the four-wheeler off the trailer when the deputy arrived.

A K-9 unit attempted to follow Gatheright but lost his scent a few hundred yards into the woods.

A deputy patrolling an area where Gatheright had been seen spotted him before he ran back into the woods. The deputy yelled for him to come out or another K-9 unit would be released, and Gatheright eventually came out.

Gatheright was taken to the Union County Sheriff’s Office where he was held until he posted a $25,000 bond.

Haley Smith can be reached at 870-862-6611 or at [email protected]. Follow her on facebook and twitter at @hsmithEDNT.

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