A 16-year-old boy was taken into Tuesday after he allegedly led El Dorado police on a chase upon fleeing the scene of a shooting in which dozens of shots were reportedly fired.
An officer who had conducted a routine traffic stop at approximately 9 p.m. in the 1100 block of East Hillsboro reported hearing multiple gunshots in the area.
While trying to locate the source of the gunfire, the officer said he saw three black males flee, two on foot and the 16-year-old in a vehicle, from the area of Pelham Avenue and East Wesson Street.
Police said two males ran into a wooded area on the south side of Pelham and officers decided not to give chase, saying that the area was dark and the males were believed to be armed.
The teen jumped into a black Dodge Charger and left the scene, leading officers on a pursuit that started on Florence Avenue, headed north to 19th Street, wound through the Fordville neighborhood and doubled back south to Champagnolle Road, according to a police report.
The suspect then turned south on Mosby Avenue before stopping at his residence in the 900 block of East Oak St.
Police said the boy then exited the vehicle and ran into his backyard, where he was apprehended.
Capt. Scott Harwell of the El Dorado Police Department's Criminal Investigative Division said police do not know if anyone was injured in the shooting or if there was any property damage in the area.
"I don't know who the victim is at this point or if there is a victim. The other two (males) who ran into the woods, we have no idea who they are, so they may be the victim," Harwell said Wednesday.
"That area is very populated with houses and (officers) are back over there today to see if any houses or vehicles were struck (by bullets)," he continued. "We couldn't see last night because it was dark and there are no streetlights in that area."
He said officers recovered multiple shell casings from two different handguns in the area of Pelham and Florence and an AR-15 pistol, several shell casings from the pistol and an empty, 60-round AR-15 pistol magazine in the wooded area nearby.
Officers noted that the 16-year-old boy was standing next to the Charger, which was parked near the AR-15 pistol when the responding officer arrived on the scene.
Harwell said officers learned that the Dodge Charger belongs to one of the boy's relatives, who is deployed on active military duty.
The boy faces numerous felony and misdemeanor charges, including terroristic act, aggravated assault, fleeing, engaging in violent and criminal group activity, hindering prosecution, minor in possession of a firearm, reckless driving and no driver's license.
Harwell said the boy was released into the custody of his parents with a citation to appear for a hearing at the Union County Juvenile Probation Office on Dec. 27.
Officers were working to fit the boy with a GPS tracking device until space becomes available in a juvenile detention facility in the state, Harwell said, adding that he is not sure if the boy will ultimately be adjudicated as a juvenile or an adult.
Arrest
Another local teenage boy appeared in juvenile court this week, a few days after he was arrested for a shooting that left a man seriously injured last month.
The boy, 15, was arrested Dec. 1 on a slew of felony charges, including attempted capital murder, aggravated residential burglary, terroristic act, aggravated assault, felony with a firearm, engaging in violent criminal group activity and offenses committed in the presence of a child.
He also faces misdemeanor charges of possession of a handgun by a minor, carrying a weapon and endangering the welfare of a minor, second-degree.
The teen was identified as a suspect in a shooting that occurred Nov. 19 at Haygood-Neal Apartments, Apt. 52, 1315 W. First.
Thirty-two-year-old Christopher Ford was reportedly shot multiple times. He remained in a Little Rock hospital Wednesday in stable condition, Harwell said.
He said Ford's child was present during the shooting and the child is between 10 and 12 years old. Harwell said he couldn't immediately recall if the child is a girl or a boy.
"After the dad was shot, the child shut and locked the door of the apartment. We had to kick in the door when we got there because the dad couldn't let us in," Harwell said.
The 15-year-old suspect had other pending criminal cases and was already wearing a GPS tracking device when he was taken into custody for the shooting last week, Harwell said.
The boy was ordered to wear the tracking device in August following an arrest for minor in possession of a handgun and possession of a handgun on school property.
He allegedly posed with a handgun in a restroom at Memorial Stadium Aug. 19 during the El Dorado Wildcats' pre-season benefit game against North Little Rock.
While executing a search warrant at the boy's residence, also in Haygood-Neal, officers recovered the gun that was believed to have been displayed in the photos that were taken at the stadium.
The boy was disciplined by the El Dorado School District and suspended from El Dorado High School at the time, Harwell said.
He said officers did not recognize two other juveniles who appeared in the photos with the boy, noting that the juveniles are not students in the ESD.
Officers initially said the other two teens had posed with the gun but upon further investigation and a closer look at the photos, Harwell said the other teens did not have possession of the gun in any of the photos.
A parent reportedly saw the photos on a social media site and notified the School Resource Officer at EHS.
Harwell said the 15-year-old was arrested after space opened up in the Jefferson County Detention Center.
"He had on a GPS monitor so we knew where he was and we went and got him last week," he said.
The teen appeared in juvenile court Tuesday. Harwell said he is not sure if the boy will ultimately be adjudicated as a juvenile or an adult in Ford's shooting.
"We're still investigating. There is a possibility of another arrest but we're not in the position to say at this point," Harwell said.