HOT SPRINGS -- A local man who was allegedly caught breaking into a car Tuesday morning was shot while exchanging gunfire with the vehicle owner, and later arrested on multiple felony charges, Hot Springs police said.
Dewayne Mervin Johnson Jr., 19, who lists a Riley Street address, was taken into custody shortly before 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and charged with second-degree unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle, two counts of breaking or entering and a misdemeanor count of second-degree criminal mischief.
Johnson has several other felony charges pending from two prior cases, and was being held on a $100,000 bond in the Garland County Detention Center.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly before 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, Hot Springs police responded to a residence in the 100 block of Scully Street to a shooting that had just occurred. They spoke to the homeowner, who stated he and his wife had heard a noise outside their house and "thought someone was breaking into their vehicles."
The man said he walked outside armed with a .380-caliber handgun and started looking around their vehicles. As he approached the passenger side of his wife's Acura MDX, he saw a male in the back seat "pointing a gun at him."
He said he ran around to the driver's side and the two of them "shot at each other." He said the male then exited the vehicle and fled on foot. He noted there was "a significant amount" of blood and numerous shell casings found inside the Acura.
The incident was captured on the couple's security camera, which showed a male in an Adidas sweatsuit enter the homeowner's white Dodge pickup truck and rummage around for a few minutes. He got out, walked over to the Acura and got inside.
While the male was still inside the Acura, the homeowner could be seen walking outside with a gun in his hand. He began "looking around" and then approached the Acura, when he saw the male inside. He retreats, and the affidavit notes "it appears the male inside the Acura begins shooting."
The homeowner returned fire and the suspect fled the scene. As he exited the Acura, the suspect could be seen wearing some type of face covering, but he appeared to have a tattoo across his forehead.
Shortly before 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Detective Mark Fallis was notified that Johnson was at UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock with a gunshot wound to his left arm and shoulder. Johnson initially told Little Rock police detectives, who came to the hospital, that he was shot in Benton and then stated he was shot at his residence on Riley Street in Hot Springs.
Detectives sent a photo of Johnson to Fallis, which showed he has a tattoo across his forehead. The LRPD crime scene personnel also collected Johnson's clothing from the hospital, including a pair of black Adidas pants with white stripes and shoes. A warrant was issued later in the day for Johnson's arrest.
According to court records, Johnson was previously arrested on Sept. 24, 2019, on a felony charge of aggravated residential burglary and misdemeanor counts of first-degree criminal mischief and fleeing after he and another suspect allegedly forced their way into a home only to be chased away by the homeowner who was armed with a gun.
On Dec. 10, 2019, Johnson was arrested again after a routine traffic stop and charged with felony counts of simultaneous possession of drugs and a firearm, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with purpose to deliver, involving marijuana and Xanax, possession of drug paraphernalia and theft by receiving of a firearm.