Man had eluded police previously

A wanted man who led Cape Girardeau police on a high-speed chase up Highway 177 Monday evening had eluded police just weeks earlier by stealing a car, a police spokesman said Tuesday.

Michael W. Hinton, 27, was charged Tuesday with felonies for manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of drugs and resisting arrest. He was also charged with five misdemeanors ranging from speeding to marijuana possession. His bond was set at $100,000.

Hinton was the driver Monday when patrolman Brandon Farmer sought to stop a car at Independence and Lorimier streets. He was accompanied by Amanda D. Zimmerman, 19, of 701 N. Spanish St., who faces felony charges for methamphetamine possession and resisting arrest and two misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $25,000.

"On April 30, we chased the same two people in a different car," spokesman Jason Selzer said. "Then he steals a car out in the county, and we catch her."

Farmer recognized Hinton, knew he had numerous felony warrants and attempted to stop him, Selzer said. That led to the chase, which ended when Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers placed stop spikes across the road, blowing out the tires on Hinton's car. The two did not surrender immediately, running into a wooded area before being flushed out by the dog from Cape Girardeau's K-9 unit.

The car was searched after being towed to the Cape Girardeau police lot, Selzer said. Officers found eight syringes -- one ready to use -- on the floor of the car, a pink bag containing a used syringe, a plastic bag with 1.3 grams of what police believe is methamphetamine and about 4 grams of marijuana.

And, through cooperation with the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, officers found more items at a location in rural Cape Girardeau County where they believe Hinton was manufacturing meth, Selzer said.

At the time of his arrest, Hinton was wanted on warrants for the April 30 car theft and for failing to appear in court for a hearing on three felonies for drugs and three misdemeanors for drugs and resisting arrest.

His felony history includes a Cape Girardeau County theft in 2000 of anhydrous ammonia, a chemical used to make meth, a 2004 car theft in Cape Girardeau County and a 2004 forgery charge from Perry County. Hinton served a three-year sentence for all three charges.

Zimmerman has no known felony convictions, but at the time of her arrest she was wanted on a Bollinger County warrant for failure to appear on a felony drug charge as well as four Cape Girardeau warrants and two Cape Girardeau County warrants.

No court date has been set for Hinton or Zimmerman.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126