Man allegedly caught driving a stolen vehicle – arrested for theft, drugs found

A Hot Springs man was arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges Sunday after he was allegedly found in possession of drugs while driving a damaged stolen car.

Adam Haskell Hunter, 46, of Oscar Gray Road, was arrested shortly after 4:30 p.m. and charged with theft over $2,500 (punishable by up to 10 years in prison), first-degree malicious damage to property (punishable by up to six years) and possession of a controlled substance, marijuana, punishable by up to one year in prison.

Hunter, who was also charged with no liability insurance, was later released on $7,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in Garland County District Court on Oct. 4. According to court records, Hunter has no prior criminal history but was sentenced to one year in prison (all suspended) for second-degree criminal damage in 2013 and was convicted of driving under the influence as a minor in 1998.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Arkansas State Police Trooper Kristopher Wootten was patrolling the area of ​​Highway 7 North and Trabecca Circle around 4:30 p.m. Sunday when he spotted a white 2004 GMC Envoy. A computer check revealed that the vehicle had been reported stolen.

As he approached the vehicle, it reportedly turned “quickly” into the Dollar General parking lot (4804 Highway 7 North) and “attempted to back into a parking space” on the south side of the building.

Wootten stopped the vehicle and ordered the driver, later identified as Hunter, to keep his hands out the driver's side window until he could be handcuffed and arrested. After the vehicle was confirmed to have been stolen from Garland County on June 28, Hunter was taken into custody without incident.

During an inventory of the vehicle, Wootten reportedly found that the vehicle's ignition was severely damaged “by an unknown object.” He also found a plastic bag of marijuana labeled “Hemp THC Flower” under the driver's seat.