A reportedly homeless woman was arrested on felony drug charges early Tuesday after a tenant called to complain about her trespassing at his apartment building.
Nicole Ann Shafer, 29, who lists no permanent address, was taken into custody shortly after 1:30 a.m. at 215 Civic St. and charged with possession of a controlled substance, meth, and possession of drug paraphernalia, each a felony punishable by up to six years in prison.
Shafer, who lists no prior felony history, remained in custody Tuesday in lieu of $5,000 bond and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly before 1:30 a.m., Hot Springs police Officer 1st Class Taylor Gates responded to the Civic Street apartment building regarding someone trespassing and spoke to a male tenant who stated there was a woman in the building "he did not want there."
After learning the woman was not actually inside the tenant's apartment, Gates told him he couldn't remove her based on his wishes alone. The tenant told Gates the woman had drugs and drug paraphernalia and then went back inside.
A few minutes later, the tenant called police again to report the woman was in the process of leaving and still had the drugs on her. Gates spotted a woman, later identified as Shafer, exit the building carrying a suitcase and sit down on the sidewalk.
Gates asked her if she was the one the tenant was having issues with and she reportedly confirmed "I'm the person you were called about." When questioned about drugs, Shafer reportedly admitted she had meth in her suitcase and gave Gates consent to search.
He found a plastic container with 0.2 gram of what later tested positive for meth and a glass pipe with residue. Shafer was arrested and reportedly admitted she had smoked meth with the pipe an hour before Gates got there.
Local on 04/08/2020