Restaurant manager, customer arrested following parking lot fight | Crime

Instead of tossing dough, Jonesboro police say a Pizza Inn manager tossed out three customers.  Then she and one of the women tossed punches.

Jonesboro Police Officer Michael McCanless says he was on dinner break at Fat City Grill when he “heard a large amount of yelling and screaming from across the street at Pizza Inn,” 1208 S. Caraway.

At first the officer thought the women were “playing around.”  Then he reported witnessing the women separate and “then go after one another again.”

Officer McCanless reported the fight in progress then drove his patrol unit across the street.  One of the women, later identified as Crystal Hood, went into the restaurant.  He said the other three women, including Shelly Jones whom she was reportedly fighting, got into a blue car and attempted to leave “at a high rate of speed.”  McCanless said he was able to “initiate contact” and stop them.

Hood, who is the restaurant manager, said Jones and the other women had entered the store and began “talking about pills and drugs and selling.”

According to Officer McCanless’ initial report, Hood said when she told them to leave Jones became aggravated and began cursing at her loudly then attacked her.

According to the two women with Jones, Hood followed them out of the store and “struck Jones in the back of the head.”

Officer McCanless reported he ran a check of the women and learned that Jones was on probation with two warrants through other agencies.

During a pat-down, he said he found a syringe in Jones’ pocket.  According to his report, “she stated that the syringe was not hers, then recanted and said it was, then recanted again and said it was not.”  McCanless reported he also found a Schedule 2 prescription pain pill in the back seat where Jones had been sitting.  He said Jones was “very unstable with slurred speech and glassy dilated eyes” leading him to believe she was intoxicated.

Jones and Hood were both taken into custody and transported to the Craighead County Detention Center.  Hood was charged with Assault-2nd degree.  Jones was also charged with Assault-2nd degree, as well as Possession of a Controlled Substance-Felony, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia-Felony, Public Intoxication, Obstructing Governmental Operations and Probation Violation-Felony.