BENTONVILLE -- A Springdale man is accused of stealing weapons and equipment from multiple police vehicles parked at the officers' homes, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Monday.
Dominique Duyanh Chu, 24, was being held Monday in the Benton County Jail on a $50,000 bond. He was arrested last week by Bella Vista police in connection with nine counts of breaking or entering and nine counts of theft of property. He's also accused of committing similar crimes in other counties.
Benton County prosecutors haven't filed formal charges.
Chu is accused of being involved with breaking into police cars and stealing two AR-15 rifles, ballistic vests, multiple magazines, a police jacket with patches and a police badge, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The arrest solves breaking or entering cases in Bella Vista, Benton County, West Fork and Crawford County, according to the affidavit.
Bella Vista police began investigating Jan. 24 after receiving seven reports of breaking or entering and one case involving an AR-15 being stolen out of a patrol car, according to the affidavit.
Russ Allen, a Rogers police lieutenant, reported the front window of his vehicle was broken and a Bushmaster AR-15 locked in the gun rack was missing. Allen suspected the person who took the gun must have a handcuff key to open the rack, according to the affidavit.
Keith Foster, a spokesman for the Rogers Police Department, said the gun was secured with a mechanical lock and was not a violation of policy.
Allen has video showing two suspects walking up to the vehicle at his home, according to the affidavit. One of the suspects says they're going to need a key, according to the affidavit.
The rifle is valued at $2,000, according to the affidavit.
Bella Vista police learned in February police vehicles were broken into in Maumelle and Crawford County, according to the affidavit.
The police learned the suspects were driving a dark colored car.
A Washington County deputy responded to a call at 1:32 a.m. Feb. 10 after Greenland Police Chief Gary Ricker reported a dark colored car with loud muffler had driven by his house six to eight times. Ricker said he went and sat in his patrol vehicle, and several minutes later a man wearing a mask and camouflage walked up and looked in the vehicle, according to the affidavit.
The man saw Ricker and took off running. A West Fork officer attempted to catch the vehicle but was unsuccessful, according to the affidavit.
A West Fork resident, who is a neighbor of a Washington County Sheriff's Office deputy, also reported someone stole his chainsaw, and he saw three people near his pickup and the deputy's car. The man said he yelled and the three ran and got in a dark car with a loud muffler, accoriding to the affidavit.
Bella Vista police learned from a Crawford County Sheriff's Office deputy Feb. 11 an AR-15 was stolen from a vehicle belonging to the Arkansas Highway Police, and a ballistic vest and other law enforcement gear were stolen from a patrol car belonging to the Mulberry Police Department, according to the affidavit.
Arkansas State Police worked a traffic accident Feb. 10 where a 1994 dark green Honda Accord crashed into a ravine on Arkansas 156. A West Fork police officer identified the car as the one he attempted to stop in connection with the incident at Ricker's house, according to the affidavit.
The front passenger airbag in the Honda deployed and had blood on it. The blood was submitted to the Arkansas Crime Laboratory. The DNA was submitted to the Combined DNA Index System and the came back Aug. 27 to Chu, according to the affidavit.
The system is the national DNA database created and maintained by the FBI.
Police went to Chu's home where he said he was with someone and was driving in the rain and crashed. Chu said he didn't know anything about the breaking or entering incidents. Police obtained a warrant to search Chu's home and found numerous items reported stolen including ammunition and a police vest, according to the affidavit.
Bella Vista police expect to make more arrests and are hoping to recover more of the stolen property, according to the affidavit.
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Dominique Duyanh Chu, 24, was arrested last week in connection with numerous counts of breaking or entering and theft of property. His arraignment is scheduled for 8 a.m. Oct. 5 in Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green’s court.
Tracy M. Neal can be reached by email at [email protected] or Twitter @NWATracy.