Robber sentenced to 20 years for holdup of Arkadelphia Dollar General

A Central Arkansas man is set to spend the next two decades behind bars for robbing an Arkadelphia business.

Rodney Nowden Jr., 39, of Shannon Hills, Arkansas was convicted in Clark County for the offense of Aggravated Robbery stemming from an armed robbery in 2024. 

Nowden was sentenced to a term of 20 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections with an additional 20 years suspended imposition of sentence and ordered to pay full restitution, as well as additional fines and costs.

The offense involved a robbery of the Dollar General Store located at 2727 Caddo St., Arkadelphia, on Feb. 11, 2024. On that evening at approximately 8:35 p.m., Arkadelphia patrol officers were dispatched to the location in response to an aggravated robbery that had just occurred. Officers were given a description of a masked individual brandishing a weapon and demanding money from the cash register while threatening the clerk with a matte black pistol, which he displayed in his left hand. 

Officers discovered that the suspect had taken $406.36 in currency consisting of bills and change, and that the currency was placed into a yellow Dollar General bag. The suspect then fled from the area.

Officers later made contact with an individual, identified as Nowden, who was sitting in a 2012 gray Ford Fusion near the Silhouette Shop, located at 131 N. 25th St. Nowden Jr’s vehicle was not running or displaying any headlights.

While speaking with Nowden Jr., officers discovered that his driver’s license showed an address in Shannon Hills. Nowden advised officers that he was in the area to visit a friend who lived close by. Nowden then contacted the individual by telephone and the individual advised that he knew Nowden but did not know why he had parked down the street.

Nowden also allowed officers to retrieve a yellow Dollar General bag from the backseat of his vehicle. After doing so officers observed that the bag contained loose change. Officers also noted that Nowden Jr. had what appeared to be a large amount of currency bulging from his pants.

Further investigation of the case by Lt. Dustin O’Brien of the Arkadelphia Police Department included collection and review of video surveillance from numerous businesses near the area of Dollar General. While watching video, a vehicle believed to be Nowden Jr.’s was observed numerous times in close proximity to Dollar General. Law enforcement further discovered a robbery on Feb. 22, 2024, at Dollar General in Atkins, Arkansas, involving a similar description and ultimately, Nowden was arrested and charged.

Clark County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Turner said Tuesday’s conviction was “the result of solid investigation and cooperation among agencies. We are fortunate to have dedicated law enforcement, and I am very pleased with this sentence and the message it sends.”

Following formal sentencing, Nowden was immediately remanded to the custody of Sheriff Jason Watson for transport to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

Records available on the ADC website show that Nowden was convicted in February in Pope County (Russellville) for charges of Aggravated Robbery and Aggravated Assault, receiving a prison sentence totaling 32 years. Online court records indicate that on Feb. 22, 2024, Nowden robbed a Dollar Store in Atkins, threatening clerks and a customer with a gun.