A Winthrop, Ark., man has been charged with commercial burglary for allegedly stealing a coin box containing almost $500 at the Cross Roads, Ark., car wash.
Daniel Flores, 33, of Winthrop appeared in Little River County Circuit Court on Tuesday and was appointed Ashdown attorney Mickey Buchanan to represent him.
Flores is scheduled to return to court next Tuesday to enter a plea for allegedly stealing the money from the coin box.
Flores was arrested Feb. 27 after trading in two jugs of change for $496.78 at a Coinstar Exchange Machine in Ashdown, according to documents from the Little River Sheriff's Department.
Earlier that day, the Little River County Sheriff's Office received a report someone had broken into the Fawcett Car Wash near Cross Roads and stolen a change machine out of the wall.
Deputies had stopped Flores prior to receiving the call and had observed two containers of quarters in the floorboard. Deputies found Flores at a Coinstar Exchange Machine in Ashdown and questioned him on the change. Flores, a former employee of the car wash, gave conflicting stories on the origin of the change, leading to deputies arresting him on the incident, according to Little River County Sheriff Bobby Walraven.
After being arrested, Flores admitted to breaking into the Fawcett Car Wash in the middle of the night because he needed money.
He admitted to using a crowbar to take the full coin machine, and later hid the machine in the woods. He then went to Ashdown with two one-gallon jugs to cash in. Officers with the Arkansas State Police were able to retrieve receipts from Coinstar showing the exact amount of stolen change that was cashed in.
Deputies located the stolen change machine in the woods between Winthrop and Alleene later that day.
Flores has been charged with commercial burglary, a Class C felony. If convicted, Flores faces three to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.
Flores remains in the Little River County jail on a $25,000 bond.