Probation for Pair Charged With Kidnapping

Two people from Arkansas charged with kidnapping have been sentenced to probation.

According to an Ozarks First Report, 25-year-old Joshua Patton of Jasper, who had originally pleaded not guilty to the charged, changed his plea to guilty last week and was sentenced to three years in prison though Judge Jeffery Merrell suspended the execution of the sentence and according to online court records was directed yo report to probation and and parole. 

The other person charged in the case, Aivyn Parker also of Jasper, earlier pled guilty to a charge of misdemeanor kidnapping and got a two-year suspended jail sentence and is on six months supervised probation. Parker had charges pending in another case at the time of her arrest. 

The charges stem from an incident in March in Branson where Parker and Patton had told the victim to drive them to Harrison after he could not help them fix a flat tire. Law enforcement eventually stopped the vehicle south of Hollister where the arrest was made.