THREE RECENT ARRESTS TIED TO HEROIN

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Officers with the Benton Police Department arrested three suspects in two separate incidents recently for numerous felony charges, including heroin related violations.  
 
On 8/13, an officer stopped a vehicle for traffic violations on Landers Drive near the I-30 South Service Road.  The officer made contact with two occupants in the vehicle, later identified as Nicholas Horton (32 YOA) of Benton and Brian Horton (62 YOA) of Little Rock. 
 
During the course of the stop, officers located suspected illegal narcotics including Methamphetamine, Heroin, and prescription pills.  Drug paraphernalia, items used to sell and distribute illegal narcotics, and a firearm were also located during the investigation.  
 
Both Hortons were subsequently placed under arrest and transported to the Saline County Detention Facility for processing.  Nicholas Horton was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Heroin with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Schedule II Substance with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Schedule IV Substance with Intent to Deliver, Possession of a Firearm by Certain Persons (Felon), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Simultaneous Possession of Drugs and a Firearm.  Brian Horton was charged with No Proof of Liability Insurance, Failure to Signal, Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Heroin with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Schedule II Substance with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Schedule IV Substance with Intent to Deliver, Possession of a Firearm by Certain Persons (Felon), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Simultaneous Possession of Drugs and a Firearm.  Additionally, Brian Horton is an active parolee out of the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections.  
 
On 8/15, an officer stopped a vehicle on Madison Village Dr. for traffic violations that also matched the description of a vehicle from a previous incident.  The officer then made contact with the driver, Keith Eldridge (46 YOA) of Benton. 
 
During the course of the stop, officers located suspected Heroin, Methamphetamine, Phentermine pills, and related drug paraphernalia commonly used to ingest illegal narcotics. Officers also discovered a firearm and ammunition inside the vehicle.  
 
Eldridge was subsequently placed under arrest and transported to the Saline County Detention Facility for processing. Eldridge is charged with Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Heroin, Possession of Controlled IV Substance, Simultaneous Possession of Drugs and a Firearm, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Driving Left of Center.  
 
These are still on-going investigations and additional charges could be forthcoming.  
 
Including these three arrests, we have experienced four Heroin related arrests in Benton within the past two weeks. This is a vast increase over previous years where we typically would see possibly one the entire year.  
 
Some of the increase has been attributed to prescription drug abuse leading them to heroin, which is cheaper to obtain and feeds their addiction.  Part of it is also attributed to the normalization and lowered perception of harm in those states that are starting to legalize illicit drugs.  
 
The BNPD is actively seeking out sources of the Heroin, which is evident with the recent dealers who were apprehended. We will continue working with other local agencies in attempt to locate and arrest those responsible for this influx.  
 
Those with information about suspected illegal drug activity or known dealers are encouraged to contact us by phone, text, or through our app. The Benton Police Department can be reached at 501-778-1171 or 501-315-TIPS.  Individuals also may send us an anonymous crime tip to CRIMES (274637) with the keyword BNPD in the body of the text or go to www.crimereports.com to leave a tip.  A crime tip can also be submitted via the official Benton Police Department app found on ITunes and Google Play. 
 
BNPD will continue to aggressively pursue those who violate drug laws, since in many cases they are also tied into other criminal activity that takes place in our community.  We will also continue to offer educational programs to the community about the negative effects and consequences of all drug use and abuse, including prescription drugs and all illicit narcotics.
 
Another unintended, but a constant problem associated with Heroin usage is the spreading of diseases through the sharing of needles and drug paraphernalia.  This is something we are educating ourselves and others about, and also how to recognize the signs of Heroin use and recognizing a potential overdose along with treatment options.  
 
The first line of defense in fighting this Heroin problem is through education and prevention.  This has proven to help in fighting prescription drug abuse and since they are commonly associated with each other, individuals are encouraged to utilized already proven methods of combating it.  They can use the resources found at: www.artakeback.org , dispose of old medicine at a drug take back event, or use an Rx drop box to dispose of unwanted drugs.  
 
Any suspects listed are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.