Arkansas Police Warn Against Huffing After Three Weekend Arrests

Via: KAIT 8 

Batesville, AR - There were three huffing-related incidences over the weekend causing alarm among law enforcement officials. The first arrest came when police responded to reports of a man huffing air duster and driving erratically. The driver denied huffing air duster but police found multiple empty cans in his car. The second arrest happened after a woman crashed into another vehicle then drove away. When police caught up to the woman she said she was looking for help but police found a recently used can of air duster in her car prompting her to confessing to huffing and driving. Then police cited a 13-year-old boy for huffing outside of a Walmart. The boy confessed saying he did it because friends told him it would make him feel good. 

Law enforcement is very concerned about the dangers of huffing especially since a man recently died from huffing. They want to encourage store employees and community members to be mindful of large air duster or spray paint purchases and to notify them. 

Arkansas Man Arrested for Huffing

Via: Arkansas Online

Little Rock, AK - A man was arrested for inhaling aerosols after local police found him standing out of his vehicle's sunroof. The police found a can of air duster in his vehicle. 

Arkansas is Arrested after Huffing and Head Butting an Officer

via www.arkansasonline.com

In Little Rock, AR a man was reportedly inhaling compressed air and scaring people. An off-duty deputy saw the 30-year-old man huffing from a rag over his face. The man was arrested and later, while the deputy was trying to get him out of the car, the man reportedly headbutted the officer. The 30-year-old faces misdemeanor charges of public intoxication, disorderly conduct, making terrorist-like threats, criminal mischief and third-degree domestic battery.

Police Arrest Arkansas Woman Accused of Huffing Behind the Wheel

via http://www.ksla.com
Police arrested a woman on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants, despite her denying use of any intoxicants. 

"The arresting officer said she acted 'surprised and insulted' when he asked if she had been inhaling any sort of paint or computer duster.

She denied having any type of inhalant in the vehicle and agreed to a search of the car, the report stated.

When she got out of the car and officer at the scene said he 'noticed her shoving something up her shirt.'

Not sure if the 'large bulge' in her stomach area was a weapon or not, the officer reportedly ordered her to place her hands on top of the car then grabbed the object hidden beneath her waistband.

“It was a can of air duster,” the officer stated in the report.

"[Two officers] noted the can was empty and cold, indicating it had been recently used."

Body of Missing Arkansas Woman Found, Inhalant Abuse Suspected

Via http://www.kait8.com

On Wednesday September 30^th, the body of a young woman was found. Unfortunately, she passed away in her car in a store’s parking lot. By that point, it had been quite some time since her relatives had reported her missing.

Friends of the 21 year old woman reported that she had a history of inhalant abuse. Additionally, police reported that she had multiple cans of hairspray in the car. However, while police reported that they did not suspect foul play, they are waiting until a coroner’s report is released before they indicate the cause of death.

Arkansas Woman Arrested for Huffing in a Public Bathroom

Via http://www.wmcactionnews5.com

On the morning of Saturday September 12^th 2015, a woman in Jonesboro, Arkansas was found passed out in a store’s bathroom. According to reports, a store associate needed to crawl into the stall to see to the woman’s well-being. Once the full extent of the situation became apparent, the police were called.

Once the 41 year old woman regained consciousness, she allegedly tried to continue huffing air duster. However, she later expressed remorse and said that what she did was “a stupid thing to do.” After being removed from the premises she was taken to the Craighead County Detention Center where she was charged with inhalant abuse.

Arkansas Man Drives Car into Man Before Hitting Building

Via kait8.com

A 33-year-old Arkansas man was arrested for DWI-drugs, careless and prohibited driving, and breathing, inhaling, or drinking certain intoxicating compounds.

The man was driving when his pick-up truck crossed the turning lane and continued across ongoing traffic lanes.  He hit a curb, striking a light pole.  His car then went back across all lanes hitting another light pole.  He then continued into a parking lot where he hit a parked SUV.  The owner of the SUV said he shoved his two young children out of the way, but that the car hit him before running into a building and newspaper stand.

Police found a cold computer duster can in the console of the car, and a wet baggie on the passenger seat.  The man was taken to the hospital where he agreed to a urine and blood test.  The man was cited and released on bail.

Arkansas Man Arrested in Deadly Huffing Accident

Via Fox16.com 

A 22 year-old, Fayetteville man was arrested in connection to a deadly 2013 car accident.  According to investigators the man was huffing computer dusters when he crashed his car in January of 2013.  His passenger was ejected from the car and killed in the crash.

A blood test revealed the man also had, "the prescription drugs Oxycodone and Alprazolam in his system at the time, as well as trace amounts of marijuana."   The man faces a charge of manslaughter and is currently out of jail on bond. 

Inhalant Abuse in Fayetteville Arkansas

Via the NWA Online in Arkansas:

The woman was found "face down, legs crossed, her body as still as the water pooled around her."  Two cans of computer duster were in her lap and a third can floated not far away. A receipt in her purse revealed she had bought the cans that afternoon. The state crime lab reported her cause of death as difluoroethane toxicity and drowning. Twelve days later, another Fayetteville woman died after huffing computer dusters in a hotel bathroom.

The article notes that in Arkansas, according to statute 5-60-116, it is a class B misdemeanor to huff products to achieve a condition of intoxication and that the state bans the possession and distribution of nitrous oxide.  Additionally, in Arkansas, 6.1 percent of eight-graders reported using inhalants in 2009 compared to the national average of 3.8 percent.

Arkansas Woman Found Dead in Hotel Room- Inhalant Abuse Suspected

Via KXNW in Arkansas:

The body of a 27 year old woman was found in a Fayetteville hotel room on July 13th and inhalant abuse is suspected.

The hotel cleaning crew was unable to get the resident to come to the door so they called police to perform a welfare check.  Officers entered the suite and found the woman dead in the bathtub. Multiple cans of computer duster were found in the room. The body was sent for identification and an autopsy. 

Arkansas Man Hides in Store Overnight and Huffs Sixteen Cans of Computer Duster

Via Huffington Post: 

Earlier this week a 21 year old male was found passed out in the storage room of an Arkansas Kmart and “covered in vomit and urine with 16 empty cans of computer duster nearby.”

When the man came to, he told police he had hid out in the store until it closed and huffed all night long. Police found more empty cans in the man’s truck and he told police he had spent $100 buying dusters at Walmart the previous day.

Arkansas Man Huffs and Sets House on Fire

Via Baxter Bulletin in Arkansas:

A recent huffing incident in Bull Shoals, Arkansas, killed one and caused the destruction of an entire home.

The young man who allegedly started the accident was huffing gas from a car gas tank using a garden hose and mistakenly got gasoline on his clothes. When he later lit a cigarette in his room, he set himself on fire and consequently the rest of the house. 

Arkansas Man Arrested for Huffing in Store Restroom

Via the Craighead County KAIT 8 in Arkansas:

A 21 year old Jonesboro man was arrested last week after an inhalant abuse related incident.

Employees of a local store noticed the man take a two pack of dusters and enter the store’s restroom. An employee followed the man into the restroom and reported hearing him “huff” the computer duster. Police were called and the police report notes the man was “unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred and he acted like he was in a daze or unaware of his surroundings” at the time of his arrest.”

He was taken to the county detention center, charged with theft of property under $1,000; breathing, inhaling or drinking intoxicating compounds; and outstanding warrants from the city of Trumann."

Homeless Man Arrested After Huffing Compressed Gas in Bathroom

Via 4029 TV in Arkansas:

A 21 year-old man was arrested after he was caught huffing compressed gas inside a Walmart bathroom.

Police tried to assist the man but he appeared to be a stupor and didn’t respond. He quickly became combative, resisting arrest. After being checked by paramedics he was taken to the detention center and charged with “inhaling certain intoxicating compounds, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.”

Woman Crashes Car, Tries to Hide Duster

Via nwahomepage.com in Arkansas:

Police believe that a woman was huffing when she lost control of her vehicle and hit another car.

According to witnesses, the woman was driving very fast and “crossed the median and t-boned a pickup truck.” The truck hit a storefront before landing on its side.

According to police, the driver attempted to hide the can of duster by handing it to a witness.

Man Huffs Himself Unconscious in County Sherrif's Parking Lot

Via arkansasmatters.com Batesville, Arkansas

A 29-year-old Batesville man was taken into custody after huffing himself unconscious in the parking lot of the Independence County Sherrif's office.

A deputy found the man slumped over the wheel of his vehicle with a can of compressed gas near his nose.

The deputy reported that the man was incoherent and could barely stand.

Inhalant Abuse Kills 21 Year Old Arkansas Mom

Via the Log Cabin Democrat in Arkansas:

Earlier this month a 21 year-old woman was found unresponsive at home and police suspect her death is related to inhalant abuse.

Police responded to an emergency call from the woman’s husband. He told the officers that when he went to bed, his wife had been huffing computer dusters. A search of the residence revealed 28 cans of computer dusters “most of which were empty.”

The police report also notes that “the couple’s 2-year-old child was in the apartment at the time of the call, but was unharmed.”

Arkansas Man Huffed Eight Cans of Whipped Cream at Store

Via the Log Cabin Democrat in Arkansas:

Yesterday’s police blotter includes an inhalant related incident. “Officers detained a man Wednesday after he was seen “huffing multiple cans of pressurized whipped cream” while walking through the store. The suspect used eight cans of whipped cream and hid the empty containers on shelves.”

16 Year Old Huffs Behind Wheel- Crashes Car Into Church

Via KHBS-KHOG in Arkansas:

This weekend, a 16 year old boy crashed his car after allegedly huffing computer duster behind the wheel.

The car left the highway, crashed through a fence and smashed into a church. No one was injured but the “estimated damage to the building is $10,000, $5,000 to the vehicle and $500 to the fence.”

The driver was arrested on the suspicion of driving while intoxicated and was transported to the local juvenile detention center.

Five Arkansas Teens Crash Car After Huffing

From the Crawford County Press Argus-Courier in Arkansas:

Last Friday at 9:30 am, five male teens (an 18 year-old and four under-age teens between the ages of 15-17) were involved in an inhalant abuse related accident. Their car hit a tree and “all but one of the teens fled the scene after the wreck.” The four under-age teens were truant from school at the time of the accident

Inside the car police found 5 cans of compressed gas dusters which they determined had been stolen from the local Wal-Mart Supercenter.

The 18 year old was charged with “arrested on suspicion of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, shoplifting, being under the influence of an intoxicating compound and leaving the scene of an accident.” The other four were each charged with shoplifting, being under the influence of an intoxicating compound and leaving the scene of an accident.” One of them was transported to the juvenile detention centerand the others were released to their parents.