Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Two Busted For Burglaries

Two women have been arrested in connection with a rash of residential burglaries in Clark County.

According to the Clark County Sheriff's Office, Leanna Marie Ivey, 25, and Rebecca Merola, 30, both of Hot Springs were arrested Monday, Dec. 13, by Garland County sheriff's deputies at their home.

CCSO investigators were involved in a continuing investigation of eight different burglaries in Clark County.

The first burglary occurred around Sept. 30 in the Amity area, with the next on Oct. 15 near Gurdon.

The pair was reportedly busy on Oct. 18, as four homes were hit. One was near Arkadelphia with three in the Amity area.

On Dec. 8, two homes were allegedly hit by the pair, one near Arkadelphia and the other near Caddo Valley.

Investigators were able to link all of these burglaries together, and believed they were committed by the same perpetrators.

Some items taken in the burglaries have been recovered, with officers in the process of notifying the owners.

These two are apparently wanted in other counties as well around southwest and central Arkansas, along with at least one in northeast Texas.

Several warrants were outstanding against the two, and all other law enforcement agencies involved have been notified as to their arrest.

Clark County Prosecuting Attorney Henry Morgan will formally file charges against the two for residential burglary.

Residential burglary is a class B felony, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not less than five years nor more than 20.

Additional felony and misdemeanor charges of theft of property are expected to be filed as well.

"Of course all criminal complaints received by my office are aggressively investigated," said Clark County Sheriff Troy Tucker, "but the burglary of someone's home is of particular concern.

"A person has an absolute right to feel safe and secure in their private homes and unlawful invasion of that privacy is intolerable."