By Ray King
A Pine Bluff man who was wanted on warrants for the theft of a vehicle in 2020 was arrested Tuesday after he was found driving another vehicle that had been reported stolen.
Mark Anthony Davis, 32, was taken into custody after an Arkansas State Trooper stopped the vehicle Davis was driving for speeding.
During a court hearing Wednesday, Deputy Prosecutor Beth Carson explained how Davis got caught.
Carson said after Davis gave the trooper his correct name and date of birth, Davis was checked through the Arkansas Crime Information Center which showed the active warrant from Jefferson County and an active warrant from the Arkansas Department of Probation and Parole.
The trooper also noticed that the license plate information did not match the vehicle but instead returned to a Chevrolet pickup and not an Outlander. The vehicle identification number was checked and showed the vehicle had been reported stolen in Little Rock. A check with Little Rock Police confirmed that it had been reported stolen and Carson said the Kelly Blue Book listed the value of the vehicle at $21,000.
She said Davis has an extensive criminal history including convictions for burglary, theft, and failure to register as a sex offender.
Jefferson County District Judge Kim Bridgforth set a $30,000 bond for Davis after ruling prosecutors have probable cause to charge him with theft by receiving. He will also have to post a $25,000 bond for another theft by receiving an allegation from August 2020 where he was alleged to have stolen a truck.
