The man who rode a Kansas City Southern freight train from Texarkana to near Winthrop, Ark., and disconnected a train car was recently sentenced for criminal mischief in the first degree.
Robert Andrew Foster, 31, of Texarkana, Texas, changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced by Ninth Circuit Court Judge Charles Yeargan in the Little River County Circuit Court in Ashdown, Ark.
Foster is required to pay $3,950 in restitution for damages to a Kansas City Southern train. He was also sentenced to 36 months probation. If he violates his probation he can be returned to jail. He was released and given 37 days jail time credit.
Foster was ordered to pay a $750 fine. He was also ordered to pay $200 for court costs, $20 for booking fees, DNA sample fee of $250 and $250 for the public defender attorney fee. The total in fees, fines and restitution is $5,420.
Foster rode the freight train March 4 from Texarkana 40 miles north to near Winthrop, Ark., according to reports from the Little River County Sheriff's Department.
Train conductor Casey Winchell was operating the train traveling north on the track and abruptly came to a stop because the brakes locked up, according to the arrest affidavit.
As Winchell was inspecting the rail cars, he saw a silhouette of an individual looking out of one of the cars. Winchell then called the sheriff's department.
Sheriff Bobby Walraven said Foster made a statement explaining he disconnected the train because it was going too fast.
"He said the train was going too fast and he couldn't get off. He knew he couldn't jump at that speed," Walraven said.
Foster didn't say why he was riding the KCS train.
The report said Foster allegedly forced several connectors loose from the car north of Alleene, Ark., causing the train to separate in half and locking up the brakes.
The disconnected section of the train stopped about a mile north of Alleene, while the section containing the locomotives and Foster continued north six miles to near Winthrop, Ark.
The arrest affidavit said Sheriff Deputy Jarrod Simmons arrested Foster, who was laying face down on the ground in a ditch by the train tracks.
The train was traveling about 45 mph when the cars where disconnected, according to assistant train master Matt Smith.