By: Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — An ex-convict, who reportedly said he was “very high” when he was booked into jail, has been charged with breaking into the Best Western Hotel on Main Street in Cushing and obstructing a police officer by barricading himself inside the manager’s office.
Arturo Villela Jr., 39, of Agra, who has a history of arrests for drugs and burglary, has been jailed on $15,000 bail pending his arraignment before a Payne County judge on Tuesday on a two-count charge.
Villela was arrested at 7:29 am on Sept. 10 at the hotel, about four hours after Cushing police were sent there at 3:25 am on a report that “the night manager heard something in the back room of the office area and was unsure if it was a person or an animal,” an affidavit said.
When Cushing Police Officers Matt Piatt and Cody Carpenter approached a closed door in the manager’s office, “I could hear what sounded like scratching on the interior of the door. I began to open the door and it was immediately pushed shut. I attempted to open the door again and it was pushed shut,” Piatt wrote in his affidavit.
“Officer Carpenter and I began yelling ‘Cushing police, come out,’ but the person inside, later identified as arrestee Arturo Villela did not answer. We announced a second time and Villela said ‘show me a badge.’ Villela was told to exit the room, but he refused and stated we were not the police. He demanded we have a Payne County deputy come to our location.
“While attempting to communicate with Villela, I could hear metal being moved and it sounded as if the door was being barricaded. Officer Carpenter continued speaking to Villela, who requested a phone and a cigarette. Officer Carpenter told the individual he would work on getting those items if he would come out of the room. Villela was silent at times and would not respond to the officer.
“Officer Carpenter was able to access the hotel video cameras and obtain a picture of Villela. In the video, it showed Villela enter the room and look around the office area and the laundry room. Villela then entered the manager’s office, which had its lights off. Villela could not be seen after that. Officer Wright then began attempting to speak to Villela. During this time, I could smell a strong odor of a cleaning chemical,” Officer Piatt alleged in his affidavit.
At 4:32 am negotiators were called in from the Stillwater Police Department, who arrived at 5:08 am, attempted to talk with Villela and have him comply with officers’ commands to exit the room, the affidavit alleged. “Villela refused to come out and stated we would shoot him if he came out of the room. K9 Max was present and began barking as I was ordering Villela out of the room,” Officer Piatt alleged in his affidavit.
At 6:15 am. Payne County Sheriff’s Lt. Nick Meyers deployed a ram on the door that was struck several times before officers were able to get any leverage on the door, the affidavit alleged. “I saw Officer Carpenter enter the room and heard Officer Carpenter yell ‘stop, back up.’ I then heard a Taser being deployed. At this time, I returned K9 Max to my patrol car,” Officer Piatt wrote in his affidavit.
“When I returned, Villela was being escorted out of the room by Officer Wright in hand restraints…Once outside, he was placed in Officer Wright’s vehicle where he remained until Cushing EMS responded to remove the Taser probes. Villela was transported to the Cushing Jail where he was booked in without incident. During the book-in procedure, Villela stated he was ‘very high."” Officer Piatt alleged in his affidavit.
According to state Department of Corrections and Payne County court records, Villela was previously convicted of:
* drug possession in 2008 for which he originally received a five-year probationary sentence that was revoked in 2011 to a five-year prison term of which he served three years;
* drug possession with intent to distribute in 2009 for which he originally received a five-year probationary sentence that was revoked in 2011 to a concurrent five-year prison term of which he served three years;
* drug possession in 2017 for which he originally received a six-month jail term followed by four and one-half years of probation with an order to enroll in and successfully complete the Payne County Drug Court program from which he was terminated seven months later, followed by his probation being revoked in 2019 when he was sent to prison from which he was apparently released on Aug. 24;
* two second-degree burglaries in 2018, for which he originally received a six-month jail term followed by nine and one-half years of probation with Drug Court from which he was terminated and then sent to prison in 2019 from which he was apparently released on Aug. 24;
* assault and battery on a detention officer and malicious injury to property in 2018 for which he received two concurrent six-month jail terms in 2018.
***
