A 35-year-old Fredericktown man and a 27-year-old Farmington woman were arrested in Arnold after police allegedly saw them participate in a drug transaction and then found numerous illegal drugs, a gun and more than $2,000 in cash in a car they were in. The incident happened outside the Walmart, 2201 Michigan Ave., in Arnold, according to Arnold Police.
At about 10:15 p.m. June 1, members of the Crime Suppression Unit saw the pair in a 2020 Chevrolet Spark parked three spaces from one of the entrances to the store, and after watching the vehicle for about 20 minutes, the officers saw the man get out of the car and adjust something in the driver’s seat and the woman got out of the passenger side and adjust something in the front seat, the report said.
Neither the man nor woman went into the store, and no one came out of the store and went to the car while the officers watched. However, officers saw a dark, four-door passenger car park next to the Spark, and the driver and the occupants of the cars appeared to complete some type of hand-to-hand transaction, according to the report.
After the apparent transaction, both cars started to leave, and the officers pulled behind the Spark and turned on their police lights. The driver of the Spark quickly exited the parking lot but after crossing three lanes of traffic, stopped just outside the lot, Arnold Police reported.
Officers allegedly saw a glass smoking pipe in the car, and they removed the driver from the Spark. After that, the officers allegedly saw two bags containing a white crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine on the driver-side floorboard, the report said.
After the woman got out of the car, officers allegedly found two bags containing a substance believed to be cocaine, a bag containing a substance believed to heroin, a bag of hydrocodone, a bag of alprazolam, one bag of oxycodone, a bag of Xanax, a bag of hydromorphone, blue caps containing a substance believed to be heroin or fentanyl, acid, mushrooms, marijuana, marijuana wax dabs, six bags of crack, a glass tube with crack cocaine in it, seven glass pipes with residue consistent with crack and meth, seven boxes of Suboxone, 50 Sudafed pills, as well as drug paraphernalia, a .38-caliber revolver and $2,085 in cash, Arnold Police reported.
The man and woman were arrested and taken to the Police Station, where the woman told investigators she was not aware of what was in the car. The man allegedly told investigators that everything belonged to him and he had purchased everything in St. Louis about two hours before he drove to Arnold, the report said.
The man was booked and released pending application for warrants, and the woman was released. Depending on results of the drug analysis, Arnold Police will seek charges against the man through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for possession of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a weapon and distribution, Detective Lt. Jason Valentine said.