A Springdale man is accused of shooting a cow with a stolen handgun in Benton County.
John Keiffer Adams, 18, of 12975 Kelly Road in Springdale was arrested Thursday in connection with first-degree criminal mischief, a Class C felony. He also faces charges of theft by receiving, a Class D felony, and a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals, according to court documents and a news release from the Benton County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies arrested Adams after he told them he and his friends were "car hopping" — breaking into vehicles — in Rogers and Bentonville, according to the affidavit.
Adams told deputies that a juvenile male stole a Glock 27 .40-caliber pistol from an unlocked car near an elementary school in Bentonville, according to the affidavit.
Adams said he didn't mean to kill the cow, adding he "could have put all the rounds in the cow's head" if he wanted to, according to the affidavit.
Deputies also recovered several stolen items, including a GPS, iPhone and radar detector, valued at over $3,000 from Adams' home, the affidavit said.
The 15-month-old heifer belonged to Jeff Chambless, who has a farm on Wagner Road near Centerton.
Nichole Chambless, Jeff Chambless' wife, said the family put the cow down after they found it with gunshot wounds. The family had not previously planned to slaughter the cow, she said.
The family had the cow butchered for beef after it was shot, according to the affidavit. The butcher found two bullets, according to the affidavit.
Adams was being held Friday at the Benton County Jail with no bond set.