Two arrested in Gentry for acts seldom considered crimes

Warrants were issued for a false report and for passing a school bus.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

— Police made two arrests last week for crimes people don’t often consider arrest-worthy offenses.

Josh Willis, 21, of Gentry, was arrested without incident in Gentry on Jan. 24 for filing a false police report on Dec. 15, 2010, when he went to the Siloam Springs Hospital for a puncture wound on his left shoulder.

According to Gentry Police reports, Willis claimed that while he was walking by the Gentry City Park, someone had jumped out from behind a tree and stabbed him in the shoulder.

When police later interviewed Willis about his account, Willis admitted that he was depressed, stabbed himself with his own knife and lied to get attention, according to police reports.

Willis was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant for the crime and transported to the Benton County Jail, where he later posted bond, according to police.

In a separate case, Samarina Cox, 26, of Gentry, was cited and released on Jan. 25 for passing a stopped school bus on Pioneer Lane at Avalon Court on the afternoon of Dec. 8, 2010.

According to police reports, the Gentry School District reported that a small gray car passed the stopped bus, with red lights flashing, with a child already off the bus. A vehicle description and license state and number were provided to police by the district.

The bus, according to reports, was facing northbound and the car passed the bus headed southbound on Pioneer Lane.

A video recording of the offense was provided by the school district to the police.

Cox admitted being in a hurry to pick up her children and passing the stopped bus on the other side of the road without seeing it until the bus driver honked at her, police reports state. She then at-tempted to stop but was already past part of the bus and felt it was too late, so went on, according to her statement to police.

A misdemeanor warrant was issued for Cox’s arrest, and she was cited and released, according to police.

Arkansas Code states (27-51-1004):

“(a) When a school bus stops and displays its alternating red warning lights for the purpose of loading or unloading passengers, every operator of a motor vehicle or motorcycle meeting or overtaking the school bus from any direction shall bring the motor vehicle or motorcycle to a complete stop before reaching the school bus. (b) The operator of the motor vehicle or motorcycle shall not start up or attempt to pass in any direction until the school bus vehicle has finished receiving or discharging its passengers and is in motion again.”

State law also requires and establishes a procedure and time limits for bus drivers and school districts to promptly report all violations of the above law.

In addition to fines between $250 and $1,000 and possible jail time of up to 90 days and community service not to exceed 400 hours, state law requires the court to suspend the driver’s licenses of those convicted of passing a stopped school bus for a period between 21 days and one year, according to Arkansas Code 27-51-1001.

News, Pages 1 on 02/02/2011