Zachariah Lee Zelk

     ZACHARIAH LEE ZELK, 31 years old of rural Mountain Home, has been arrested and charged with theft of a motor vehicle following an investigation into a complaint made to the Sheriff’s Office on January 7^th.

     The owner of a 1986 Jeep truck valued at $3,000 reported to the Sheriff’s Office that the vehicle had been parked at her residence at 6192 Highway 201 South with the keys left in the ignition.  She called the Sheriff’s Office on the morning of January 7^th after she found that her vehicle had been backed into a tree on the neighboring property at 6175 Highway 201 South and had sustained damage to the instrument cluster, tail gate, rear bumper, and rear lights.  The damage was estimated to be approximately $1,000.

     ZACHARIAH ZELK was immediately developed as a suspect based partially upon evidence left behind in the truck.  ZELK was believed to be inside the residence at 6175 Highway 201 South.  ZELK was known to be on parole.  When he would not answer the door at the residence, his parole officer was called to the residence, and ZELK then came to the door.  ZELK was taken into custody.  He later confessed to stealing the vehicle. 

     ZELK is being held in the Baxter County Detention Center on a criminal charge of Theft of Property – Felony, with bond of $5,000, and also for a Parole Violation with no bond.  ZELK will appear in Baxter County Circuit Court at a later date to answer the charge.

     /s/ John F. Montgomery

    Baxter County Sheriff