Texarkana man arrested after fleeing officers, hiding in attic; passenger also held on felony warrants

TEXARKANA, Ark. — A Texarkana man wanted on an outstanding warrant was arrested Thursday morning after police say he sped away from officers, ditched his still-running car in a neighbor’s yard and hid in his attic while officers obtained a search warrant for his home.

Michael Birdwell faces a felony charge of fleeing by vehicle in addition to the existing warrant, according to the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department. A passenger, Gena Rose, was also taken into custody on two unrelated felony warrants out of the Miller County Sheriff’s Office.

Police said the incident began around 8 a.m. Aug. 20 when Officer Pendergrass and Recruit Wright, both assigned to Alpha Shift, were patrolling Ferguson Street in a marked unit. Pendergrass recognized the driver of a southbound vehicle as Birdwell, whom he knew had an active arrest warrant through the Texarkana, Arkansas, District Court. A passenger was also visible in the front seat.

As the officers turned around to initiate a traffic stop, Birdwell accelerated and headed toward his home, police said. He was traveling fast enough that he was unable to make the turn into his driveway and instead left the vehicle, still running and smoking, in a neighbor’s yard before going inside.

Patrol officers surrounded the residence and tried to call Birdwell and the passenger out. Police said they could hear movement inside, but no one responded.

Officers prepared a search warrant for the home and an arrest warrant for Birdwell on the fleeing charge, both of which were approved by a Miller County Circuit judge. When the search warrant was executed, officers again issued multiple warnings for the occupants to come out or announce themselves. Police said they ultimately found Birdwell and Rose hiding in the attic.

According to TAPD, Birdwell told officers he fled because he did not want his car to be impounded. The vehicle was towed from the neighbor’s yard.

In a statement, the department commended the Alpha Shift officers “for their attention to detail during patrol and their relentless efforts to capture and arrest fleeing criminals.”