Oklahoma man accused of robbing Siloam Springs restaurant pleads not guilty

SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — An Oklahoma man arrested after allegedly robbing a Siloam Springs restaurant pleads not guilty, according to court documents.

Noah Leffingwell, 20, of Proctor, Okla., was arrested on May 11 for aggravated robbery, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, four counts of theft of property, aggravated assault, two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, two counts of interfering with emergency communications, and no insurance.

A probable cause affidavit said on May 11, Siloam Springs police responded to Barnett’s Dairyette for a robbery in progress. Dispatch said there was a man inside the restaurant with a shotgun, pointing it at people and robbing them.

Employees told officers once they were on the scene, the man who attempted to rob them had already left.

As the officers responded to the incident, a witness told them they saw a man come from near the restaurant and enter a red truck.

A few officers went to search for the suspect, according to the affidavit. An officer later stopped the truck driven by Leffingwell mentioned by the witness, and he was detained on the scene.

Leffingwell’s vehicle was searched and police found a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, numerous boxes of ammunition, $768 in cash, a notebook, multiple phones and duct tape.

The manager of the restaurant provided security footage to police and the man in the video matched the man who was detained, the affidavit said.

Video footage showed Leffingwell enter the restaurant with a shotgun and was allegedly seen chambering a round into the gun and pointing it at an employee. He reportedly told the employee to give him all of the phones and money.

The employee gave Leffingwell two cell phones and money from the register, according to the affidavit.

In the notebook found in Leffingwell’s vehicle, handwritten notes were found that read:

• “Everywhere has bright lights and cameras, Harps – bright cameras, Dollar General – dim. Cameras. Gas Stations – bright. Cameras.”
• “Watch for cop cars on patrol, watch for others’ eyes watching to film you, write you down, call 911.”
• “Mask your face. Dress obscurely, MUG the guy. Punch. Tape mouth and arms and legs.”
• “Mask yourself. Duct tape on you, to tape him, take his phone, his wallet. Park your truck where no one sees it. Take him into a spot with no cameras. No lighting most of all. No watching eyes. Take him, bound to truck. Tell me where to get your money. The bank. Withdraw it. Smash his phone. Put in bucket of water.”
• “Materials: duct tape: lots, truck. Shotgun + slugs + buckshot. Knife. Ballpeen hammer. Fists. Guts. Will. Mask. Black. Item to trade. Brains. Cold hard action.

During his arrest, Leffingwell decided to remain silent but later told police he wanted to make statements. He said he started planning to rob a business on the day of the incident and “he was tired of being broke.”

Leffingwell told police “he hoped this was the only time he ever had to do anything like this,” and chose Barnett’s, claiming it was an “easier target”.

He talked about the notebook during the interview and said that he wrote notes in it about how he was going to carry out the attack, according to the affidavit.

Court documents say the total value of items stolen was $1,568.

Leffingwell is being held in the Benton County Jail on a $200,000 bond. He has an omnibus hearing scheduled for September 25.

He has been ordered to have no contact with the staff or employees of Barnett’s Dairyette.

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