The suspect reportedly fled on foot after police arrived.
Arthur-Malik Jamal Branch, 25, of Kensett, was arrested on March 5, 2025, for crimes allegedly committed in April 2024. He faces charges of breaking or entering and theft of property in Searcy, Arkansas after reportedly targeting parked cars and stealing items inside.
Suspect Reportedly Fled On Foot After Targeting Cars In Searcy
According to case files, on April 19, 2024, at 3:48 AM, Searcy Police say they caught Branch checking car doors near the local college campus. He fled but was later trespassed and released.
Hours later, someone named Elizabeth Thornhill reported her unlocked Ford Mustang was entered at the college’s library. Between $6 and $46 in cash was stolen from her console.
Video from security camera footage in the area showed Branch and three others targeting sports cars on campus at 3:30 AM. The footage placed him two blocks from Thornhill’s vehicle.
Branch is charged with a Class D felony for breaking or entering and a misdemeanor for theft under $1,000. Additional charges of vehicle theft over $25,000 and theft by receiving were added post-arrest.
His bond is set at $3,500 for initial charges and $100,000 for the vehicle-related offenses. The case was filed by Prosecutor Rebecca Reed McCoy in May 2024.
Please note: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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