Garland County man accused of stealing pickup with sleeping child inside

Brett Alan Pharr - Submitted photo
Brett Alan Pharr - Submitted photo

A man accused of stealing a woman’s truck with her 6-year-old child asleep in the back seat was arrested late Monday in Garland County, authorities said. 

Brett Alan Pharr, 31, of 621 Farr Shores Drive, was taken into custody at his residence shortly before midnight and charged with theft of property over $5,000, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, but Garland County sheriff's office deputy Courtney Kizer said a possible kidnapping charge is also pending further investigation.

Pharr, who lists no prior felony history but had a warrant for failure to appear, was being held in lieu of $3,500 bond and was set to appear Tuesday in Garland County District Court.

According to the probable cause affidavit, a woman called the sheriff’s office shortly before 8 p.m., stating her silver 2004 Dodge pickup had just been stolen from the parking lot of a Dollar General, 2550 Airport Road, with her 6-year-old child asleep in the back seat.

She said she had parked her vehicle in front of the store and left it running due to her sleeping child, the affidavit states.

Deputies responded and reviewed security video from the store and saw a man they recognized as Pharr inside the store just prior to the truck being stolen, authorities said. They noted the man was wearing a tan jacket with fur collar and a black or blue baseball cap.

The sheriff’s office said Pharr could be seen exiting the store and walking in the direction of the truck which moments later was driven away.

At 8:25 p.m., the sheriff's office got a call that the child had been dropped off at Texas Roadhouse, 3623 Central Ave. Deputies responded and located the child there, unharmed, and returned him to his mother a short time later, according to authorities.

Shortly after 11:30 p.m. Pharr's mother called the sheriff's office stating there was "an ongoing altercation" between Pharr and her husband at their residence on Farr Shores Drive, authorities said. She also reportedly confirmed there was a silver 2004 Dodge pickup located on their property and the license plate matched that of the one stolen earlier.

Authorities said deputies responded to the residence and confirmed it was the stolen truck parked in front of a guesthouse. Pharr's father reportedly allowed the deputies to enter the guesthouse where they located Pharr inside.

Deputies noted the keys to the pickup were "in plain sight" in the room as they took Pharr into custody, according to the sheriff’s office.

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