Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gurdon man charged with six counts of commercial burglary

Cody Smith, 20, of 87 Rutherford Road has been charged with sic counts of commercial burglary, according to information obtained from the Clark County Circuit Clerks office.

According to an affidavit prepared by Arkadelphia Police Department Sgt. Roy Bethel, Smith is accused in the burglaries of Red Ball Oxygen in Gum Springs, R&Js Pit Stop in Arkadelphia, Sonic Drive-In of Arkadelphia, Dougs Grocery in Gurdon, Palmers Service Center in Gurdon and M and M Enterprises in Gurdon.

The first break-in occurred on July 13. According to the affidavit, deputies responded to Red Ball Oxygen after receiving a call that an alarm had been activated at the business. Upon arrival, the deputies found that the back door had been kicked in and that half of the door frame was hanging in the floor.

After clearing the building, Clark County investigators were called in. A fresh shoe print was found and photographed at the scene.

A few hours later, an officer from the Arkadelphia Police Department was on routine patrol in the area of R&Js Pit Stop when he observed the security gate to the front door standing open, the affidavit states. The officer parked his vehicle just down the street and walked up to the business, and upon closer inspection found that a lock on the building had been broken to gain entrance.

The affidavit states that a cash register and several packs of cigarettes had been taken from the building. Unopened boxes of cigarettes were found outside the building as well. A trail of cigarette boxes led officers to the railroad tracks.

After walking down the tracks, the officers found a screw driver that appeared as if it had not been there long. They also found part of a cash register in a nearby creek.

At the business, officers found a shoe print that matched the one found earlier at Red Ball Oxygen.

Around 8 a.m. on the same day, officers responded to Sonic-Drive In in Arkadelphia. An employee told police that $284 in cash had been stolen. Entry was made to the building by breaking the glass front door, the affidavit states.

On July 16, Gurdon City Marshal Don Childres responded to a burglary at Dougs Grocery. Entry had been made to the story through a side door, and one of the two cash registers had been taken.

On the same day, officers were called to Palmers Service Center in Gurdon for a break-in. The owner reported money and a camera stolen.

On July 18, Mike McKenzie, owner of M and M Enterprises reported a burglary at his business. While investigating at the scene, officers heard Childres over the police radio state that he had the suspects stopped in Gurdon and that one of the suspects had fled on foot.

Items matching the description of those missing from M and M Enterprises were found in the vehicle Childres had stopped.

Smith was taken into custody during this stop.

Shortly after this incident, a vehicle was reported stolen from Palmers Service Center. The vehicle was recovered in Arkadelphia. It is believed that the suspect who fled from Childres took the vehicle.

An Arkadelphia police officer later came in contact with the stolen vehicle, and its driver, identified as Trent Hughes, no address or age available, but he again fled on foot, the affidavit states.

A search of the stolen vehicle revealed a pair of shoes with treads matching the tracks found at two earlier crime scenes.

On July 19, the affidavit states that investigators interviewed Smith who confessed to being involved in numerous recent burglaries that occurred in Arkadelphia, Gurdon and Clark County.