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BURGLARY SUSPECT FOUND IN SHOWER

By Ray King/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Thursday, October 2, 2008 10:12 AM CDT

A Pine Bluff man who allegedly kicked the door of a house open to steal a television and other items, then was chased by police Monday afternoon was arrested after officers found him hiding in the shower of another house.

At a court hearing Wednesday, Circuit Judge Berlin Jones ruled prosecutors had probable cause to charge Roderick Smith with residential burglary and fleeing, and set a $10,000 bond for Smith.

Deputy Prosecutor Nicole Pugh said police were sent to a reported burglary in progress at a house in the 1100 block of

East Seventh Avenue and were told that the suspect left the scene and was pushing a shopping cart down the street.

She said Officer Robert Treadwell saw Smith walking west on Seventh Avenue pushing a shopping cart and when Treadwell pulled up, Smith ran.

Pugh said Treadwell and other officers chased Smith to a house in the 1000 block of East Seventh and when they knocked on the door, “several people said there was no one in the house matching Smith’s description.

“They were allowed to search the house and found Smith hiding in a shower and breathing hard,” Pugh said.

Smith waived his right to an attorney and reportedly admitted kicking in the back door of the house and loading a flat screen television, computers and other items on the shopping cart, Pugh quoted the police affidavit as saying.

She said Smith was placed on probation after pleading guilty to drug related charges and a petition has been filed to revoke that probation because Smith tested positive for drugs several times, failed to report to his probation officer and failed to pay fines and fees.

Also Wednesday, the judge ruled prosecutors had probable cause to charge Timothy Grady of Pine Bluff with aggravated assault and criminal use of a prohibited weapon, based on an incident Tuesday.

Pugh said police were sent to 510 Hudson St. to a reported armed disturbance. When they arrived , police found Grady sitting on the tailgate of a truck with a sawed-off shotgun in his hand.

Police reported that Grady and a woman who lived with him had argued and he told her to leave, then hit her in the face, pulled her hair, and threw her clothes in the driveway.

The woman, Ashley Murphy, told police she was picking up her clothes when Smith loaded the shotgun and “gave her five minutes to leave,” Pugh quoted the police affidavit as saying.

Jones set a $5,000 bond for Grady, who Pugh said had no prior felony convictions, and told him to have no contact with Murphy until the case is settled.

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