On 3/29/15, at approximately 9:06 PM, officers with the Benton Police Department responded to the 1800 block of Richards St. on report of a disturbance. Upon their arrival, they made contact with an off-duty officer who was speaking with a victim about an unwanted person hanging around their (the victim’s) home.
It was determined the suspect, later identified as Juan Vargas-Onofre (31 YOA) of Little Rock, was hanging out in the area dressed in a leather coat even though the temperatures were in the 70’s. When officers spoke with him he had the smell of an intoxicating beverage about his breath and body. During subsequent investigation, officers discovered a loaded .38 Special in his possession.
Further investigation revealed that apparently Vargas-Onofre had a past history of making threats towards the victim and had been repeatedly calling her throughout the day before showing up at her home. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Saline County Detention Facility for processing without incident.
Vargas-Onofre was charged with Stalking 1st Degree, Carrying a Weapon, and Public Intoxication. Additionally, he also had active warrants out of two other agencies at the time of his arrest. This is an on-going investigation and additional charges could be possible.
Anyone with information about this crime is encouraged to contact the Benton Police Department at 501-778-1171 or 501-315-TIPS. Individuals also may send us an anonymous crime tip about this incident 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.
Any suspects listed are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Follow BNPD on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Benton-Police-Department/221829174560849