Three Arrested in Jonesboro for Theft from Video Game Store

Jonesboro, Ark. – In a recent incident, three individuals have been apprehended by the Jonesboro police department for allegedly stealing items worth over $5,000 from a local video game store. The accused have been identified as 46-year-old Benjamin Lee Wooten and 43-year-old Christy Hughes, both hailing from Cleveland, Tenn., along with 22-year-old Alexis Loves from Brookland.

On Saturday, Dec. 16, a traffic stop led to the arrest of the three suspects. Subsequently, on Monday, Dec. 18, a judge found probable cause to charge them with theft greater than $5,000 but less than $25,000.

The incident took place when officers from the Jonesboro police department were patrolling East Highland Drive around 1:20 a.m. While on patrol, they observed a maroon Nissan Altima emerge from behind GameStop, a prominent video game retailer.

The officers followed the vehicle as it proceeded west on Highland Drive before turning onto Browns Lane. They noticed that the vehicle did not possess a license plate, prompting them to conduct a traffic stop after the suspect vehicle turned onto Windover Road.

Upon questioning the driver, Alexis Loves, the officers inquired about her presence behind the closed GameStop store. Loves claimed that she was lost and was trying to navigate her two passengers, Wooten and Hughes, back to their hotel on Phillips Drive.

However, suspicions arose when the officers noticed unopened boxes addressed to GameStop inside the vehicle. Further questioning led to Loves confessing that Wooten and Hughes had been dumpster diving behind the store and discovered the boxes next to the dumpster.

Permitted by Loves, the officers searched the vehicle and discovered four unopened boxes addressed to GameStop, all containing eight Playstation 5 video game consoles. The officers also found an additional unopened box in the trunk, containing a variety of 43 video games, also addressed to GameStop.

The officers then returned to the GameStop store on Highland Drive and found more boxes similar to the ones discovered during the traffic stop. It was evident that the packages, located approximately 30 feet from the dumpster, could not be mistaken for trash.

The manager of GameStop confirmed that the total value of the stolen items amounted to $5,453. As a result, Wooten and Hughes were booked into the Craighead County Detention Center, with Wooten receiving a $10,000 cash/surety bond and Hughes receiving a $5,000 cash/surety bond. Online jail records indicate that Loves was released on a $5,000 cash/surety bond.

The three accused individuals are scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 24 to face the charges pressed against them.

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