A 29-year-old Arnold woman was taken to the hospital after she reportedly consumed a substance believed to be fentanyl while being held in the Arnold Police Department’s jail. The woman allegedly hid the substance inside her body after being arrested on outstanding warrants, police reported.
Officers arrested the woman at about 8:05 p.m. July 25 inside Walmart, 2201 Michigan Ave., after checking the license plates on a Pontiac Grand Am that was parked outside the business. The check revealed a woman was wanted in St. Louis County and St. Charles County, but no women were in the car, the report said.
However, an officer found the woman who was wanted in the store and arrested her. At that time, officers did not know the woman had any illegal substances. After taking her to the Arnold Police Station, though, police reportedly found a plastic wrapper containing five capsules on the seat in the police cruiser where the woman had been sitting. The officers then contacted a female officer from another municipality to search the woman because no Arnold female officer was on duty at the time, according to the report.
The female officer searched the woman and allegedly found more narcotics inside her body. It also became apparent that the woman was under the influence of a drug, but it is not known if she consumed the drug while in custody, Detective Lt. Jeremy Christopher said.
He said the woman was taken to Mercy Hospital South in south St. Louis County for evaluation. She was held at the hospital for the other law enforcement agencies where she was wanted, the report said.
Depending on results of the drug analysis, Arnold Police will seek charges against the woman through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for possession of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance in a jail facility, Christopher said.