Man and woman are said to have broken into house, fought with residents and were arrested

A local man and woman, both felons, were arrested Tuesday on warrants alleging they attempted to break into a residence on May 2 and then got into a fight with the homeowner after they were discovered.

Robert Glenn Helms Jr., 51, of Little Ponderosa Trail, and Kimberly Michelle Cosby, 33, of Pitchercane Road, were both taken into custody shortly before 5:30 p.m. and both were charged with aggravated residential burglary, which is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

Helms, who allegedly had drugs and drug paraphernalia on him when he was arrested, was also charged with possession of a controlled substance, meth and possession of drug paraphernalia, both offenses punishable by up to six years in prison.

Helms was being held on $15,000 bail and Cosby on $10,000 bail. Both were scheduled to appear in Garland County District Court on Wednesday. A felony review hearing is scheduled for July 19.

According to court records, Helms was convicted in Montgomery County in 2015 of theft over $5,000 and sentenced to four years probation; in 2019 of meth and drug possession and sentenced to five years in prison; in 2021 of possession of a firearm by certain persons and sentenced to two years in prison – all in Garland County. Cosby was convicted on Jan. 30 of possession of a controlled substance and sentenced to five years probation.

According to the probable cause affidavit, a Springwood Road resident reported to the Garland County Sheriff’s Office on May 2 that he had allegedly been attacked by two burglars in his home.

The victim told investigators that he was in his bedroom around 6:15 a.m. when he heard voices coming from his house. He said he went into the kitchen and saw a white man and woman in his garage and told them to go into the living room.

He noticed the man was holding a blue bag and a crowbar, then pushed the victim and “ran off” through the back door. The man reportedly ran “right through the back door” and damaged it.

The victim grabbed the woman so she couldn’t escape and she allegedly began kicking and punching him. She was able to break free and ran out the back door as well. The victim had security cameras in the garage that captured footage of the man and woman walking around the garage before he confronted her.

The victim later told investigators that he had been told that the male suspect who broke into his home was Helms and that he could confirm with certainty that this man was the man he had encountered.

Investigators reviewed the video and compared it to driver’s license and booking photos of Helms and Cosby and were reportedly able to identify both as suspects. The affidavit states that Cosby is “a known associate of Helms” and has been seen with him before. Arrest warrants were later issued for both suspects.

Shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, Deputy Michael Wagner responded to a call from Cpl. Alex Hollaway to the Hot Springs Village Inn, 4429 Highway 7 North. The call revealed that Helms and Cosby were seen walking near the west entrance gate of Hot Springs Village and that warrants were out for their arrest.

Wagner and Deputy Jimmy Caldwell reportedly located the two suspects near the entrance to the Hot Springs Village Inn and confirmed their identities and burglary warrants, so both were taken into custody.

When Helms was searched after his arrest, two small plastic baggies were allegedly found in his front pocket, along with an empty syringe and a broken glass pipe. A total of 1.8 grams of meth was found in both baggies.