Photos: (from left) Amanda Runkle & Heather O’NeillOne of two women arrested last week on drug-related charges in Baxter County has an open case in Boone County from an incident in December in which she reportedly fled from the wrecked stolen truck she was traveling in.
According to the most recent affidavit, 29-year-old Amanda J. Runkle of Harrison was a passenger in a vehicle driven by 43-year-old Heather O’Neill of Gassville.
The pair was arrested and charged following a traffic stop last Wednesday on State Highway 126 near the Baxter County Airport.
O’Neill told the Arkansas State Police trooper making the stop she had just purchased the vehicle the two were traveling in. However, the title and bill of sale were not dated. Their vehicle did not have a rear tag, and its windshield was cracked.
After observing both women demonstrating nervous behavior, the trooper asked O’Neill for consent to search the vehicle and was denied.
By conducting a license inquiry, the trooper learned O’Neill is a convicted felon and Runkle was recently arrested on a felony drug charge in Boone County.
O’Neill consented to a search of her person, with drug paraphernalia retrieved from the pockets of her clothing. A similar search of Runkle did not reveal any illegal items.
During a search of the vehicle, a .380 auto handgun loaded with five rounds in the magazine was located in the center console. The search also revealed a white crystal substance field testing positive for methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
At the Baxter County jail, a search of Runkle revealed an uncapped syringe in her bra.
The two women face two felony drug-related charges. In addition, O’Neill faces felony charges of possession of firearms by certain person and simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, as well as misdemeanor counts of driving while intoxicated, possession of drug paraphernalia, equipment violation and failure to show proof of insurance. Runkle’s additional charges include a felony count of furnishing, possessing, using or delivering prohibited articles, as well as misdemeanor counts of obstructing governmental operations and public intoxication. O’Neill’s bond was set at $15,000, while Runkle’s was set at $10,000.
In the open Boone County case, Runkle was a passenger in a vehicle reported stolen being pursued by law enforcement and wrecking in a yard along Coweta Falls Road in late November. The driver exited the wrecked vehicle through a window and was quickly placed under arrest.
Individuals on the scene advised law enforcement a female, later identified as Runkle, had exited the vehicle, running into the woods prior to their arrival. Runkle, too, was apprehended a short time later and taken into custody.
Runkle was searched at the Boone County jail, and a used syringe was located under her breast. She faces two felony drug-related charges in connection with the Boone County incident, as well as a felony theft by receiving charge. Bond in the case was set at $3,500.
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