On 11/2/14, at approximately 9:21 PM, officers with the Benton Police Department responded to 2100 Henry Street Lot #18 in reference to a possible shots fired call. While in route to the call, officers were informed a window had been broken and the suspects fled the scene.
Upon their arrival, officers determined a window had been broken out of the victim’s residence by an unknown means. According to the victim, after breaking the glass the suspects fled the area and then returned and threw a Molotov cocktail at his residence. The Molotov cocktail was filled with gas and had a burning piece of clothing sticking out of it. The victim was able to throw the Molotov cocktail into the roadway before it could explode and cause damage to his residence.
Officers were able to later locate the suspect vehicle and eventually pull it over on Springhill Road near Pierce Manse Loop. Two suspects were then taken into custody, identified as Natasha Johnson (24 YOA) of Bryant and Troy Putman (34 YOA) of Benton.
Johnson is charged with Criminal Attempt to Commit Arson, 2 counts of Aggravated Assault, Criminal Mischief 1st Degree, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, 2 counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, DWI Drugs, Driving on a Suspended License, No Proof of Liability Insurance, Expired Tags, Failure to Yield to Emergency Vehicle, Driving Left of Center, and Careless Driving. The controlled substance charges stem from Johnson having suspected marijuana and medication without a prescription in her possession.
Putman is charged with Criminal Mischief 1st Degree, 2 counts of Aggravated Assault, and Criminal Attempt to Commit Arson. Additionally, Putman is an active parolee out of the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections.
Both suspects were transported to the Saline County Detention Facility for processing without incident. This is an on-going investigation and additional charges could be forthcoming.
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 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.
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