Suspicious activity outside store leads to multiple felony charges
A check on a female driver allegedly involved in some suspicious activity outside a convenience store Friday led to her arrest on multiple felony drug charges.
Tracey Marie Steele, 45, who lists a Fourth Street address, was taken into custody around
4 p.m. and charged with possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver, unau- thorized use of another person’s property to facilitate a crime and possession of drug paraphernalia, each punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and an additional count of possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to six years.
Steele remained in custody Monday in lieu of bonds totaling $20,000 and is set to appear May 9 in Garland County District Court.
According to the affidavit, around 3 p.m. Friday, investigators with the Hot Springs Police Department’s Narcotics Unit observed a gold Ford Explorer parked at the gas pumps at EZ Mart, Summer and Hobson, occupied by a female driver, identified as Steele, and two male passengers.
Investigators reportedly saw an unidentified white male walk to the driver’s side window of the Explorer where a “hand-to-hand transaction” took place with the male handing the female money and getting “an item in return.”
The vehicle left headed south on Summer and after noting the brake lights were not operational, a traffic stop was made at Summer and Garland streets. Before stopping, investigators allegedly observed movement by the occupants.
Officers made contact with Steele and asked for consent to search the vehicle, but she initially refused. The investigators stepped away briefly and noted more movement by the occupants and then Steele told them they could search the vehicle.
Steele exited the vehicle clutching her purse to her chest even after she was told she would not need it. She finally placed the purse on the hood of one of the police units but continued to stay close to it. Officers asked if they could check her purse for weapons and she refused to consent.
While talking with Steele, the officers noted she would ask a question and then answer another one before they could answer the first, while “looking back and forth” between her purse and the officers. A National Park Service K-9 unit arrived and when asked if there was anything in the vehicle, Steele reportedly admitted she had an “8 ball” of meth in her purse.
At that point, Steele allegedly dropped a small bag of meth, approximately 0.4 gram, on the ground between her feet. She was taken into custody and a search of her purse revealed a plastic cup with 2.9 grams of meth, two sets of digital scales, a glass pipe with meth residue, three spoons with residue, seven syringes, and numerous baggies.
Steele later reportedly admitted the meth and other contents in the purse all belonged to her. She stated the vehicle did not belong to her and a computer check confirmed it was registered to two other women.