A 40-year-old man and 35-year-old woman, both of Arnold, were arrested at the Kohl’s store in Arnold for a variety of alleged offenses after the man reportedly stole a pair of socks and the woman created a disturbance. Arnold Police got a report at 5:13 p.m. July 30 that the man allegedly put on a pair of socks in the store and walked out wearing them. However, he returned when the woman he was with created a disturbance while trying to fraudulently return an item at the store, police reported.
The man and woman were held by store security, and when officers arrived, the man was arrested for alleged shoplifting. In addition, when officers asked the man to empty his pockets, he allegedly pulled out a baggie with a clear, rock-like substance believed to be methamphetamine in it. He also had $1,571 in cash in his wallet, and three of the $20 bills appeared to be counterfeit, according to the report.
He also was wanted by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Louis County Police Department for probation violations, the report said.
The officer also discovered the man and woman arrived at the store in a 2015 Jeep Patriot that had been reported stolen out of Kirkwood on July 18. The man allegedly had the key to the Jeep in his pocket, according to the report.
The officer then arrested the woman as well, according to the report.
During the arrests, the man fell and claimed to be having a seizure. He was transported by Rock Township Ambulance to Mercy Hospital South in south St. Louis County to determine if he was fit for confinement and later was released to the Sheriff’s Office. The woman was released at the scene because of a pre-existing medical condition, the report said.
Depending on the results of the drug analysis, Arnold Police will seek charges against the man through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for possession of meth and counterfeit money and first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle. Police will seek a charge against the woman through the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for second-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, Lt. Tom Leassner said.
He said the counterfeit bills were turned over to the U.S. Department of Treasury.