Pair arrested in lawnmower theft

Adult, juvenile apprehended by WMPD

news@theeveningtimes.com

Within minutes after an observant West Memphis resident who watched as two young thieves entered his carport and took his Craftsman lawn mower responding police officers was able to take one juvenile into custody as well as a 19-year-old and recover the stolen property last week.

Assistant Police Chief Robert Langston said police received a call shortly before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday from a resident on Park Drive who told the officer that two thieves had walked into his carport and taken the mower.

The resident also said that he observed the pair, one wearing a black jacket with gold sleeves and the other wearing baggy blue jeans and a red jacket, take the mower and headed south on Park Drive before turning west on South Worthington.

The victim said he got into his vehicle and followed the pair and as he got behind them he yelled out the window of his vehicle at which time the pair abandoned the property and ran west on South Worthington. Langston said when one of the officers arrived in the area he observed one of the suspects, later identified as the juvenile, walking south on South Avalon. The youth was wearing a black jacket with gold sleeves as described by the victim.

Other responding officers located the second suspect, identified as Kelvin Demarlo Burress, 19, of 904 Arlington Dr., West Memphis. The victim gave officers a positive identification at which time the two were suspects were taken into custody.

Langston said Burress was transported to the Crittenden County Detention Center where he was advised of his court date on charges of theft of property valued at less that $1,000.

The juvenile was transported to the Crittenden County Juvenile Detention Center where he was turned over to a juvenile officer.