Recently convicted parolee arrested again for fleeing a crime

A recently paroled inmate with a long criminal history was arrested early Monday on new charges after allegedly fleeing a traffic stop with drugs in his vehicle.

Hildrew Rheanna Akins, 28, of School Street, was taken into custody at approximately 12:15 a.m. and charged with unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate a crime (punishable by up to 20 years in prison), vehicular hit and run, and possession of a controlled substance (meth) (each punishable by up to six years in prison), as well as misdemeanor counts of marijuana possession, second-degree criminal damage to property, hit and run, and possession without a license.

Akins was released on bail and is scheduled to appear in Garland County District Court on Wednesday.

According to court records, in 2017, she was sentenced to five years’ probation for possession of a controlled substance with intent to resell; in 2019, she was sentenced to six years in prison for possession of a controlled substance; in 2021, she was sentenced to six years in prison for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, but was later paroled; and on May 1, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison for several drug offenses, all of which were suspended.

According to the probable cause affidavit, at approximately 12:04 a.m., Hot Springs Police Officer Jonathan Smith saw a white 2012 Nissan Maxima traveling north at 2200 Central Avenue with its high beams on, “obscuring the view of other drivers traveling south on Central.”

Smith pulled up behind the Nissan as it turned onto Winona Street and turned on his lights to stop traffic, but the vehicle pulled into a parking lot in the 400 block of Winona, accelerated and headed east on Alcorn Street and then onto Oakcliff Street. The vehicle continued to Archwood and Charteroak Streets, where Cpl. Joey Vanderburg blocked traffic at the intersection with Sanford Street.

The vehicle reportedly moved into the oncoming lane to avoid a collision with Vanderburg’s unit and continued south on Charteroak Street and then West Belding Street and back toward Oakcliff and Alcorn. In the 400 block of Alcorn, Smith saw the driver’s door open and a black woman, later identified as Akins, jump out and flee on foot between the houses.

Smith left his unit, pursued her, and caught her after a short chase. Akins allegedly told him her baby was still in the vehicle, which rolled west on Alcorn Street and struck the side of a building at the corner of Alcorn and Central, causing $2,500 in damage.

Officers checked the vehicle and found there were no other passengers inside. Akins reportedly admitted that she lied about the baby being in the car in order to flee on foot because she knew there was a warrant for her arrest.

Upon further searching the vehicle, officers allegedly found seven clear bags, including one containing 0.2 grams of a substance later determined to be meth and one containing 0.7 grams of marijuana.

The affidavit states that during the chase, the Nissan reached speeds of 70 mph in a 30 mph zone, but there was no traffic on the road during the chase and road conditions were dry and clear.

The registered owner of the Nissan arrived at the scene of the accident and allegedly told police she had never loaned her vehicle to Akins and she was “not allowed to drive it,” leading to the additional charge of unauthorized use.