Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 3:45 A.M. Officers responded to 2310 IH-10 S (Red Roof Inn) in reference to a disturbance. A white male with tattoos on his face, broke in to the lobby and was trying to attack the clerk with a hammer.
Upon arrival Officers arrested the suspect. He was later identified as Brian Ballard, a 37 year old transient.
Officers learned Ballard committed a Burglary at Cowboy Powersports, took an ATV, and a hammer. He left on the ATV and went to the Red Roof Inn. He confronted a hotel guest that was outside smoking and tried to assault him with the hammer. The guest fled and went inside the hotel. The clerk electronically locked the glass lobby doors and Ballard broke them with the hammer. He entered the lobby and went toward the clerk. She ran to a back office and locked herself in.
Ballard was using the hammer to break the office door when officers arrived and took him in to custody.
Ballard was transported to Jefferson County Correctional Facility and booked in for Aggravated Assault and two counts of Burglary.
No mug shot available at the time of this press release.
