Nicholas Blake Ragsdale: Stealing from Walmart

It was Sept. 29, 2024, and an alarm sounded in Sheridan's Walmart Supercenter.

That alarm, according to court documents, triggered "when the suspect pushed a cart of stolen
merchandise out of the store through a fire exit."

The alarm and employees
alerted passersby, who then pursued the suspect.

Citizens overtook the suspect but he "brandished a knife before continuing to flee and successfully evade the citizens," the crime sheet stated.

A Sheridan police officer obtained Walmart security footage on Sept. 30, 2024.

"This footage showed a white male entering Walmart, placing merchandise into a cart,
and then leaving the store without paying," court documents stated.

The footage also revealed the suspect evaded from the citizens. But no video footage could identify "the area where the brandishing of the knife by the suspect occurred."

Video captured a white Nissan Titan "apparently associated with the suspect, but being driven by another person."

The officer stated in his crime report that he "identified the suspect vehicle through license plate readers in the area."

Investigating deeper, the officer saw the truck displayed a temporary license tag with an expiration of October 2, 2024.

"It was determined that the only white Nissan truck of the
appropriate body style sold and assigned a temporary tag with that expiration date was sold to Timothy Lamb, of Mountain Pine," the report stated.

Mountain Pine is located in Garland County.

Criminal information written by Lt. Robert Bird of the Sheridan Police Department states, "On October 7, 2024 I interviewed David Lindley. Lindley stated that on the afternoon of September 29, 2024 he was at Walmart when he witnessed the suspect exit Walmart through a fire exit. Lindley stated he heard the alarms sound, and heard employees say that the suspect had just committed theft. Lindley then pursued the suspect. Lindley stated he and others chased the suspect behind the Pizza Hut, where one of the others knocked the suspect to
he ground. Lindley stated the suspect then got to his feet and retrieved a folding knife from his pocket. Lindley stated the suspect opened the knife and lunged with it at Lindley's midsection multiple times."

Naturally, Lindley feared for his physical safety.

Bird's report continued that "the suspect then crossed Rock Street and
fled to the north, escaping the other pursuers."

Bird wrote that on Oct. 9, 2024 he interviewed Timothy Lamb, the white Nissan Titan's owner.

"Lamb stated he had been with a friend, Nicholas Blake Ragsdale, on the afternoon of September 29, 2024," the report stated. "Lamb stated he provided a ride to Ragsdale."

Ragsdale wanted to go to Sheridan, where he intended to shoplift
from Walmart, according to the report. "Lamb stated that he saw Ragsdale being chased by people
through the parking lot and left the area. Lamb stated he returned to Sheridan later in the evening and picked up Ragsdale. Lamb stated Ragsdale told Lamb that Ragsdale had 'pulled a knife on guy.'"

Lamb gave Ragsdale a ride back to Hot Springs.

Bird wrote that on Oct. 11, 2024, he separately showed two witnesses a photo lineup containing Nicholas Blake Ragsdale.

"Each positively identified the photo of Ragsdale as the suspect," Bird wrote.

Jury trial and plea

A plea offer was made to Ragsdale but rejected in late February.

Ragsdale wanted a jury trial, which was scheduled for March 16, with Circuit Judge Margaret Dobson presiding.

However, Ragsdale took a plea deal that day. He pled guilty to one count of robbery, a Class B felony. The count was amended from aggravated robbery to robbery. His sentence was reduced from 15 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections to 10. He also had to pay fines and court costs.

Ragsdale was sentenced as a habitual offender. His previous felonies were: