*UPDATED*Captain Jody Dotson of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department announced that on Friday April 16th 2010 two arrests were made for theft of property and criminal mischief.
Arrested were Adam Madden, 20 of Hoxie and Justin Winters, 20 of Walnut Ridge. The arrest were made after a tip from a concerned citizen lead deputies to a facebook page where pictures were posted of the subjects on a backhoe that was reported stolen earlier that same morning in Portia. The backhoe valued around $25,000.00 was found by local farmers stuck in the mud near the banks of the Black River, over a mile away from where it was taken. LCSO reported there was damaged to the backhoe. After the deputies started the investigation the tip came in and deputies copied the photos and both Madden and Winters were contacted. Both admitted to taking the backhoe and the damage according to the Sheriff’s Department. Madden and Winters were arrested and being held in the Lawrence County Jail to await bond on Monday.
Updated**** Madden and Winters were both given an O.R. bond and a Circuit Court date of May 19 at a hearing around 10 oclock
