Wrong place at the wrong time.
That was the case for 38-year-old Jennifer Lee Melton of Newport.
Independence County Sheriff Shawn Stephens, Chief Deputy Aaron Moody, Detective Michael Moody and Investigator Chris Toland along with Batesville Police Department Investigator Dillon Sallas made a compliance check on a registered sex offender at 190 Goforth Dr. in Batesville on Jan. 4.
Upon arriving at the residence, Chief Deputy Moody, Detective Moody and Investigator Sallas were able to make contact with a female subject at the front door. After explaining why there were there, the female subject invited them into the residence, according to the incident report. Once inside, they also made contact with Melton who was lying on a bed.
Melton, according to Toland, became nervous and kept trying to reach into the watch pocket of her blue jeans.
When Sallas asked Melton what she was reaching for, the police report noted she replied: “My dope.”
At that time, Melton was placed into handcuffs. Once in handcuffs, a small plastic baggie containing a “crystalline substance” was retrieved from her watch pocket. Through a field test, the substance tested positive as methamphetamine, according to the report.
Melton was placed in jail where she will await the filing of formal drug charges against her.
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