Robbery Investigation Leads To Arrest Of Five Men

Hot Springs National Park (AR)
Robbery Investigation Leads To Arrest Of Five Men

On the evening of February 6th, ranger James Latendresse received a report of an assault involving five young men who’d beaten and robbed a visitor who was walking on the park’s Grand Promenade. Latendresse’s prompt investigation led to the discovery that Hot Springs PD detectives were working on a similar robbery in the city, with suspects who matched those involved in the park incident. Latendresse and NPS special agent Robert Still found and interviewed all five men, some of them housed at the Arkansas Rehabilitation Center located immediately adjacent to the park. During interviews, all five admitted their involvement in the robbery, which they had planned ahead of time. Warrants were authorized by the local U.S. magistrate. On April 13th, Still coordinated three separate warrant pickup teams, one each for the Arkansas towns of Pine Bluff, Strong and Hot Springs. The teams arrested all five men and took them to federal magistrate’s court for their initial appearances. Still, Latendresse, Buffalo NR LES Jeff West and Hot Springs rangers Amanda DeFriese and Jason Flood served on the warrant teams.