BENTONVILLE -- Police rescued a Dallas woman Saturday after she left a note with a Walmart employee, claiming she had been kidnapped and brought to Bentonville, according to court documents.
Michael Lee Roberts, 24, of Bentonville was being held in the Benton County Jail on $150,000 bond Monday after his arrest in connection with kidnapping, intimidating a witness and coercion. He also was being held on an out-of-state warrant in connection with aggravated kidnapping.
At A Glance
Court Dates Set
Michael Lee Roberts, 24, is scheduled to appear at 8 a.m. July 21 in Circuit Judge Robin Green’s court for his arraignment in the case.
Theron Alan Vance, 21, is scheduled to appear at 8 a.m. July 28 in Circuit Judge Brad Karren’s court for his arraignment.
Prosecutors have not filed formal charges against Roberts and Vance.
Source: Staff Report
Police arrested a second man Monday in connection with the investigation. Theron Alan Vance, 21, of Rogers was being held in the county jail with no bond set in connection with conspiracy to commit capital murder and kidnapping.
Tony Marveggio, a lieutenant with the Bentonville Police Department, said the investigation is ongoing and more information may be released later.
Police received a call at 12:38 p.m. Saturday from an employee at the Walmart Supercenter on South Walton Boulevard, according to the probable cause affidavit. The employee reported a woman had given her a napkin stating she had been kidnapped by "her ex-boyfriend Michael Robert." Police learned that prior to their arrival Roberts tried to get into the women's restroom and get the woman to leave with him. Roberts left the scene before police arrived.
Police were able to get a description of the vehicle and the direction in which it went, according to court documents.
The woman was still in the bathroom when police arrived. She told an officer she was walking into her apartment between 6 and 6:30 p.m. Friday when Roberts attacked her from behind, according to court documents. The woman said Roberts had his hands around her throat and she thought she was going to die, but another man came in the apartment and Roberts loosened his grip on her, the affidavit states.
The woman said the other man had an FBI badge and a gun. The man later identified himself as Theron Alan Vance, the affidavit states. The woman reported Vance identified himself as an FBI agent and said he was in the National Guard with Roberts, according to court documents.
The woman reported Roberts told her she had two options: go with him or he would kill her, the affidavit states. Roberts forced her to pack two suitcases, her computer and other personal documents. He then instructed her to leave a note for her roommate to explain her disappearance, the affidavit states.
Roberts told her to write that a family member was sick in China and she was going there, the affidavit states. The woman said she completed the note, but she also was able to write another note that said "Call 911" and left it in the refrigerator, according to court documents.
The woman said they left her apartment, and Roberts later broke her cellphone on the sidewalk, the affidavit states.
The woman reported they stopped at a gas station in Eufaula, Okla., where she was able to write a note with a makeup pen and leave it behind. The note said she had been kidnapped by "Michael Roberts" and provided the tag number of the vehicle, according to court documents.
Eufaula police issued an alert at 6:47 a.m. Saturday that a note had been found in the women's bathroom at a truck stop, and Roberts and Vance were listed as persons of interest, according to court documents.
The woman said they arrived at Roberts' apartment at 2:30 a.m. Saturday. She and Roberts slept in one room, and Vance slept on the couch, according to court documents.
The woman said she and Roberts later went out to eat lunch and stopped at Walmart, where she was able to give the note to the Walmart employee, the affidavit states.
The woman told police she met Roberts at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro in 2012. They began to date, but she tried to break up with him. He became hostile and threatening, according to the affidavit. Roberts came to Dallas on three separate occasions to try and reconcile. She had contacted police, the affidavit states.
Police had given Roberts a trespass warning to stay away from the woman and her residence. Roberts also had pulled a knife on her in a train station parking lot, according to the affidavit. Roberts also showed up at where she worked in Dallas. He later was arrested in connection with the knife incident and was given a July 10 court date, according to court documents.
The woman said Roberts and Vance told her they kidnapped her because they did not want her to testify against Roberts in Texas. The woman said Roberts was still trying to reconcile their relationship and she cooperated because she was scared, the affidavit states.
Police apprehended Roberts as he walked near his neighborhood.
Police searched Roberts' apartment and spoke with his roommate, Jason Pruitt.
Pruitt initially denied knowing anything about Roberts' relationship with the woman and claimed he barely knew Vance, the affidavit states.
Pruitt later told police he knew Roberts had an ex-girlfriend he hates in Dallas and had said he was "going to take care of it," the affidavit states.
Pruitt admitted using Roberts' cellphone to call his mother to give Roberts an alibi. Pruitt told police the plan was to make it look like Roberts was at home during the time frame the woman was kidnapped or murdered in Dallas, the affidavit states.
NW News on 06/17/2014