SPRINGHILL – A man wanted for attempted second-degree murder is now in custody.
Police arrested Johnny Reed Jenkins, 40, of the 1000 block of Reynolds Street on additional charges of theft of utilities, possession of schedule II controlled dangerous substance (methamphetamine), two counts of aggravated flight from an officer and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police Chief Will Lynd says they’ve been looking for Jenkins for weeks, and it all began when they received a call regarding the reported theft of utilities.
“The water to the residence had been shut off for nonpayment,” he said. “Someone turned the water back on and had been using water for several days.”
Officers knocked on the door several times with no answer. The renter, identified as Heather Ware, returned home and appeared to be belligerent, loud and uncooperative with police. Officers asked if Jenkins was present, and she reportedly told them he lived there but was not home at the time.
Lynd says she remained uncooperative and refused to allow them to search the residence. He says they’d been watching the home for possible drug activity.
A search warrant was obtained, and police returned to the residence and executed the warrant. The search revealed suspected methamphetamine and what appeared to be drug paraphernalia.
Ware was placed under arrest for possession of schedule II CDS, possession of drug paraphernalia and theft of utilities.
Jenkins had still not been located at that time, and warrants for possession of schedule II CDS (methamphetamine) and possession of drug paraphernalia were obtained.
During their investigation, police learned Jenkins was known to live in the 300 block of East Street in Cotton Valley. The Cotton Valley Police Department was notified of the warrants, Lynd says, and later learned the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office has active warrants for his arrest.
“On two separate occasions, CVPD attempted to stop Jenkins on a red motorcycle where he ran from police and endangered lives,” he said. “On two other occasions, Jenkins ran from SPD when we attempted to stop him and arrest him for the pending charges. Both of these times, he endangered lives and got up to speeds of over 100 miles per hour.”
Police caught up with Jenkins at his Springhill residence some days later, Lynd says, when they were called to the residence in reference to an altercation. Jenkins was reportedly causing a disturbance when he and another subject got into an altercation.
“During the altercation, the keys to the motorcycle were taken from Jenkins where he could not flee the scene,” the chief said. “As the other male was moving away from Jenkins, Jenkins reportedly reached into his back pocket, pulled a gun and fired one round of ammunition at the male but did not hit him.”
Upon arrival at the scene, officers discovered Jenkins fled the scene but his motorcycle was at a neighbor’s home, he said. The neighbors had not seen Jenkins nor did they know him, he added.
A search of the area was conducted, and later, officers received a phone call from a woman whose elderly mother lives on the corner of 11th Street NE and Baker Street in Springhill. The woman told police that Jenkins was at her mother’s home asleep.
Officers went to the residence, and the homeowner told them he was in a back bedroom.
Jenkins was located and placed under arrest. A search of the residence was conducted to find the reported weapon used in the commission of the crime, but it wasn’t there.
The following day, police received a call that some children had discovered a gun in the backyard of the neighborhood officers had previously searched. The gun, identified as a .38 caliber revolver, was recovered. One round had been fired from the weapon, Lynd said.
A warrant was obtained for Jenkins DNA, and the gun and DNA were sent to the North Louisiana Crime Lab for testing.
Results are pending at this time.
Lynd says a hold has been placed on Jenkins with charges from other agencies pending.
Bond was set at $542,500.