Stoddard County woman arrested for alleged drug possession, threatening state trooper

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Puxico woman is behind bars today following a vehicle stop Tuesday in which she allegedly threatened a highway patrol officer, the Daily Statesman reported.

At 7:20 a.m., Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Jay Parsley pulled over 28-year-old Sara L. West of Puxico when he allegedly observed her traveling southbound on Highay 51 at 69 miles per hour and running off the side of the roadway.

According to the criminal complaint, when Parsley made contact with West "her speech was slurred and her eyes were bloodshot and glassy." He adds that he did not notice an odor of intoxicants on her.

West reportedly admitted she had taken Xanax and Prozac at 6 a.m. After failing sobriety tests, West was placed under arrest.

Parsley then began to search her vehicle.

"Located in the center console and in West's purse were numerous pills," the report states. "The pills were loose in the purse and not in bottles prescribed to West."

Among the pills were Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), Alprazolam (Xanax), Clonazepam (Klonopin) and Skelaxin.

After being transported to the Stoddard County Jail, West reportedly refused a chemical test of her urine.

In the warrant request, filed Tuesday by Prosecuting Attorney Briney Welborn, it is reported that at some point during the arrest, West threatened both Parsley and his family.

West is charged with four counts of the Class C felony possession of a controlled substance, one count of the Class A misdemeanor unlawful use of drug paraphernalia, one count of the Class B misdemeanor DWI-drug intoxication and one count of the Class C felony of making a terrorist threat.

She is also being charged as a prior and persistent offender due to convictions in 2006 and 2008 for credit card theft and forgery.

West is still on probation for those charges, so she is also charged with probation violation.

Bond is set at $50,000 cash-only, but because the probation violation has no bond, she will remain in Stoddard County Jail.

She will appear before Judge Joe Satterfield for arraignment Thursday morning.