2 charged for vehicle break-ins at Arkadelphia apartments

A pair of Arkadelphia teens faces a slew of theft-related charges after authorities say they solved a case of overnight vehicle burglaries.

CJ Harden and Katelyn Marie Flanary, both 18, are each charged with nine counts of Breaking or Entering and one count of Theft of Property – Credit/Debit Card, as well as three counts of misdemeanor property theft.

The duo are accused in the Aug. 1, 2024, vehicle break-ins at Oakwood Apartments at the corner of 12th and Caddo streets. The Arkadelphia Police Department responded there when a resident reported her vehicle had been broken into, and while on scene learned about similar thefts from eight other residents. Items reported stolen ranged from a credit card to a bottle of cologne, according to an affidavit filed in recent days.

The owner of the apartment complex provided investigators with video footage showing two suspects walk onto the property and open doors of several vehicles. That video was shown to a juvenile probation officer, who was able to identify one of the suspects as Harden, the affidavit states. Police learned from another source that Harden was believed to be in El Dorado to turn himself in for unlisted crimes committed there.

On Aug. 13, APD detectives interrogated Harden at the Union County Sheriff’s Office, where they reportedly got a confession about his and Flanary’s involvement in the Arkadelphia break-ins. Flanary had previously denied the allegations when police talked to her at her Arkadelphia residence. Some of the stolen items were found on Country Club Road near its intersection with Mill Creek Drive, which police noted in the affidavit is about half a mile from Flanary’s apartment. A search warrant executed at the apartment apparently yielded negative results.

Each count of Breaking or Entering, and the Credit/Debit Card Theft, is a Class D felony, which carries a prison term of up to six years and a fine of up to $10,000.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Gregory Vardaman was assigned the case. Bond for each defendant has been set at $55,000.