Theft Suspects Busted with Vehicle Programmer in Jonesboro

JONESBORO, Ark. — Theft suspects with some high-tech equipment were busted over the weekend in Jonesboro, with one adult suspect in court on Monday.

At 3:30 a.m. on October 20, officers were dispatched to the 2600 block of Glenn Cove in Jonesboro about a vehicle theft in progress. An officer made contact with the victim who was able to provide video footage of two suspects pushing his vehicle and a third who was driving the victim’s vehicle. A fourth suspect was driving a white Infinity SUV, the probable cause affidavit said.

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Police were able to locate the victim’s vehicle on another street close to where the vehicle was stolen. According to the affidavit, Ethan Malik Daniels was seen by the officer getting out of the back seat of the stolen vehicle and fled on foot to the white Infinity SUV.

As an officer was exiting his patrol unit, the white SUV attempted to flee the area but fled toward a dead end. The SUV made a U-turn and drove towards the officer who had just initiated the pursuit. The operator of the white SUV made an aggressive left turn in front of the officer and entered a front yard. The vehicle then had a head-on collision with a tree.

Four suspects exited the vehicle and fled on foot. The officer prevented Daniels from fleeing and he was taken into custody.

One of the other suspects arrested in the case is a juvenile, the affidavit said. The police report indicated a 17-year-old male was arrested. Two other suspects in the case are listed in the report and were not showing as being in custody as of the report’s release on Monday: A male, 19, and a male between 16 and 22.

Inside the white SUV, police reported finding a vehicle programmer used to program key fobs to be used to start a vehicle. Near the victim’s vehicle, police found a cable attached to an ODB port. The cable matched the programmer.

The victim’s vehicle had damage to the rear bumper that matched the damage to the front bumper of the white SUV. The white SUV was used to push the victim’s vehicle, the affidavit said.

Ethan Malik Daniels, 18, of Forrest City, was arrested on charges including theft of a vehicle valued at $25,000 or more, a Class B felony; first-degree criminal mischief, a Class D felony; fleeing, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and possessing instruments of crime, all Class A misdemeanors.

Judge David Boling found probable cause to charge Daniels on Monday. The prosecutor noted Daniels has a pending first-degree battery case, and is a suspect in other vehicle theft cases. The prosecutor also noted the suspect is from out of town, Forrest City, and that a vehicle was dumped in Forrest City. The state requested a $250,000 cash or surety bond requirement for the suspect’s release. Judge Boling followed the state’s request.

The police report also listed an arrest of a male separate from the other suspects. His association with the case is not clear.

Calvin Lous Scott, 33, of Jonesboro, was arrested for obstruction of governmental operations, a misdemeanor. He was released within an hour of arriving at the jail.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.