Youth arrested after stealing service weapon

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

— Joshua Yates, 18, of Decatur, was arrested July 31 for allegedly stealing the duty weapon and checkbook of his mother, Decatur police officer Jeannie Yates.

According to Decatur Police Department reports, Jeannie Yates got into an argument with her son, Joshua Yates, on July 29 because he stole $40 out of her purse. She kicked him out of the house, the reports state.

Later that day, Jeannie Yates locked her house and left for a while. When she returned, she found a light on in her bedroom, according to the affidavit of probable cause. She looked in her closet and noticed her gun and holster were missing from her gun belt. She also found that a box of checks had been moved.

Jeannie Yates immediately called the police department to file a report.

Sergeant Joe Savage responded to her home and found evidence that someone had crawled through the window in Joshua YatesÃ- bedroom.

The investigation was turned over to the Benton County Sheriffs Office because it involved a Decatur Police Officer.

On July 31, Joshua Yates went to the Gentry Police Department, wanting to know why the police had been asking about him. He was transported to the Decatur Police Department, where he was interviewed by Savage.

Joshua Yates told Savage that he had taken and used several checks from his motherÃ-s checkbook. At first he denied breaking into the house or knowing anything about the stolen gun, but he later stated that, considering the facts, it was possible that he might have taken the gun as well as the checks.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Joshua Yates later told Investigator Jeremy Felton of the Benton County Sheriffs Office that he had been taking Zanex, heroin and marijuana on July 29 and could not remember a lot about the day because of the drugs. He told Felton the gun was at the home of Freddy Wilmoth, Jr., in Gentry.

Investigators contacted Wilmoth, and he turned the gun over to them. Wilmoth said he got the gun from a friend who gave it to him as collateral for a $100 loan.

Jeannie YatesÃ- check book was also recovered inside a duffle bag that Joshua Yates left at his friend Ezra AllenÃ-s home.

Joshua Yates is being held in the Benton County Jail in lieu of a $20,000 bond on two felony charges of forgery in the second degree and a felony charge of theft of property.

No other arrests were made, according to Felton.

News, Pages 1, 2 on 08/05/2009