As Fort Smith police continued to search Friday for a follower of evangelist Tony Alamo accused of beating a 17-year-old boy, details of the organization's local ties were released.
Eight residences, two warehouses, two businesses, an apartment complex and a church are listed as owned by the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries, according to documents released by authorities.
The church at 4401 Windsor Drive is the most well-known property as it is listed on the Christian Ministries Web site. Two warehouses are at 800 S. Fourth St. and 2921 State Line Road. Jeanne Apartments, 5201 Spradling Ave., and businesses in the 300 block of South 10th street and the 3100 block of North 50th Street are among the organization's Fort Smith properties.
Residences are listed in the 100 block and 600 block of North 16th street, 600 block of North 17th street, 1600 block of Grand Avenue, 3900 block of Bradley Drive and the 1400 block of Windsor Drive. The group also owns several lots.
John Erwin Kolbeck, 49, of Fort Smith, who is alleged to have disciplined church members at Alamo's request, is wanted on a second-degree battery warrant in connection with attacking a 17-year-old boy with a 2x6 board in a Fort Smith warehouse in early 2008, according to an affidavit for an arrest warrant.
The boy was knocked onto the concrete floor and beaten repeatedly with the board, which caused significant bruising and bleeding, the affidavit states.
When Kolbeck realized the boy's winter clothing was protecting him from the blows, he had the boy's pants and thermal underwear pulled down and continued to beat him until the board broke.
Police also interviewed Kolbeck in March 3, 2006, in reference to performing a wedding ceremony for a 13-year-old girl and a 34-year-old man.
Police were dispatched to the church on Windsor Drive that day by a caller who told authorities about the wedding. The man was a member of the church, but the girl was not, Kolbeck told police that day. He added that the bride, groom and families had already left the area and he did not know how to get in contact with any of them, according to a report.
The prosecutor's office advised police to treat the incident as a rape investigation, the report states. No charges have been filed.
Alamo, 74, is charged with taking a 13-year-old girl across state lines for sex in 2004 and with aiding and abetting her transport across state lines for sex in 2005. He has pleaded not guilty to the two charges. He was arrested Sept. 25 in Arizona after authorities raided the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries compound in Fouke.
At a federal detention hearing Wednesday for Alamo, several other witnesses described beatings at Kolbeck's hands, for even minor infractions like playing with a spray bottle, according to The Associated Press. John Wesley Hall Jr., a Little Rock lawyer representing Alamo, declined to comment to the AP about the allegations against Kolbeck.
While Fort Smith police Sgt. Levi Risley said Alamo's upcoming trial doesn't necessarily make finding Kolbeck an urgent matter, the sergeant said detectives and officers continued to search for the alleged enforcer.
"We are following up on leads as they are called into the police department and additional information to try to determine his whereabouts," Risley told the AP.
