BATESVILLE — An affidavit for parolee William Tyrone Harper, 50, of Batesville, was filed on Sept. 3 following a string of burglaries on White Drive. Harper faces multiple felony charges, including two counts of commercial burglary, two counts of breaking and entering, and one count of theft of property, for a series of break-ins on Sunday afternoon.
The Batesville Police Department was first called to Peco Hatchery, located at 1600 White Drive, around 4:42 p.m. after an employee noticed suspicious activity. A work truck was found with its door open, and the interior light of another vehicle was on. The employee also reported that an alarm had been triggered at Greenway Equipment, a neighboring business.
Responding officers found the front door glass of Greenway Equipment shattered and a new John Deere screwdriver set lying in the driveway. Security footage from the site captured a man, identified as a Black male with no shirt and wearing red shorts, attempting to ride a John Deere Zero Turn Z730 mower out of the driveway at approximately 4:27 p.m. His efforts were thwarted by a metal fence, forcing him to abandon the attempt and drive the mower out of sight.
The footage then showed the suspect returning to smash the front door of Greenway Equipment and leaving the premises with a STIHL chainsaw and other items. Officers later recovered the chainsaw, valued at $199, and the mower, valued at $3,700, in a wooded area behind the business, where the mower had become stuck between two trees near railroad tracks.
A still image of the suspect, later identified as Harper, was circulated to all officers. Police contacted Harper’s girlfriend, Jessica Armstrong, 42, who claimed she had not seen or heard from him since Aug. 28.
At 8:28 p.m., police responded to another burglary in progress at Batesville Poultry Equipment, located at 1401 White Drive. The suspect, matching the description of a Black male with no shirt and red shorts, was spotted in the mechanic’s shed. After employees confronted him, the suspect threw an object at one of them and fled toward the nearby Intimidator building.
Later that evening, officers found Harper walking along East Main Street. He claimed to have been staying at the Economy Inn, where police discovered his girlfriend, Armstrong, had rented a room on Sept. 1.
Harper’s bond was set at $200,000, while Armstrong was charged with hindering apprehension, a felony. Her bond was set at $20,000.
This incident follows Harper’s recent arrest on Aug. 28 for multiple charges, including four counts of criminal mischief and three counts of battery, all felonies, after a disturbance at College View Apartments. During that incident, Harper reportedly broke four vehicle windows and triggered a fire alarm. His bond for that incident was set at $100,000.