Robbery suspects caught as they make a run for state line

Jonesboro robbers stopped one mile short of escaping across bridge

By DON WILBURN

donaldfwilburn@gmail.com

An amateur theft crew from Memphis quickly learned last week they should have limited their criminal actions to their side of the bridge after a daring daylight robbery of the Ultra Beauty store in Jonesboro resulted in a police chase through Marion and West Memphis and resulted in yet another failed attempt to escape across state lines.

Arkansas State Police Troop D was noti_ed on February 4, 2024, that Poinsett County was actively pursuing a blue 2017 Nissan Maxima on Interstate 55 southbound, rapidly approaching Crittenden County.

Trooper Darrien Evans responded to the call and headed North on Interstate 55. However, Troop D Communications informed him that the deputies in pursuit had lost sight of the suspect vehicle and discontinued the chase. Positioning his unit perpend icular to Interstate 55 South at the 14-mile marker, Trooper Evans kept a lookout for the vehicle in case it passed by. After monitoring traf_c for some time, he witnessed the described vehicle nearly rear-ending a white passenger car in the left-hand lane. The vehicle then accelerated, overtaking other vehicles on the shoulder of Interstate 55 South reaching speeds exceeding 140 miles per hour.

On Interstate 40 West, the suspect Nissan Maxima continued to weave in and out of traf_c on the shoulder at high rates of speed before exiting onto College Boulevard and reentering Interstate 40 East. With no

See ROBBERY, page A3

CAMPBELL

GAITHER

PRICE ROBBERY

From page A1

regard for other motorists, the suspect vehicle narrowly avoided hitting a West Memphis Police unit. It was also at this point that another ASP vehicle giving chase lost control in the rainy conditions and crashed into the ditch opposite Exit 275 on the College Boulevard overpass.

Continuing on I-40 toward the bridge and just a mile short of reaching state lines the suspect vehicle lost control, swerved across all three lanes multiple times before crashing and becoming disabled against the concrete wall. At this point, Trooper Evans held all the vehicle’s occupants at gunpoint until additional units arrived to assist with the arrest. All three suspects were taken into custody without further incident.

During a probable cause search of the vehicle, several clear plastic bags were found containing organic material. Trooper Evans believed the substance to be psychedelic mushrooms. An orange Ultra Beauty bag was also discovered, which contained numerous bottles of perfumes, colognes, and other beauty products reported stolen from the Jonesboro location. A scale with residue was found in the center console, as well as a pill bottle containing pressed, colorful pills with unique designs believed to be Ecstasy pills.

Among the wreckage, a chambered Glock pistol was found approximately 20 feet from the vehicle. The gun showed marks on the slide and handle, indicating it had been thrown from the car. The driver was identi_ed as Deltorio Campbell, 24, and the two passengers were identi_ed as Darryl Gaither, 27, and Curtis Price, 24. All three men are from Memphis, TN. Additionally, Price had a nationwide extradition warrant from Shelby County for unrelated felony charges.

All three men have been charged with a litany of charges including eeing, felony possession of a controlled substance, theft and possession of drugs and _rearms. Campbell’s bond was set at $50,000, Price at $35,000 and Gaither released on bail this past Sunday.