HOT SPRINGS -- Two felons, including a habitual offender with 15 convictions, were charged in several crimes early Thursday after authorities reported finding about a quarter pound of meth and more than $3,500 in cash in their possession.
David Shane Goings, 51, who lists a Frontier Circle address, and Cheyenne Mari Fields, 45, who has a Charnela Lane address in Hot Springs Village, were taken into custody around 1:15 a.m. and each charged with possession of meth with purpose to deliver, unauthorized use of another person's property to facilitate a crime and possession of drug paraphernalia and tampering with physical evidence.
Goings, who had a parole hold on him, was being held without bail. Fields, who had a warrant for failure to appear, was being held in lieu of a $23,500 bond. Both are set to appear today in Garland County District Court.
Goings was convicted in Garland County Circuit Court on Jan. 13, 2014, of five counts of residential burglary and at the time of his conviction was classified as a habitual offender with 10 felony convictions. Fields was convicted on April 28, 2006, in Saline County of manufacturing a controlled substance and sentenced to six years' probation.
According to the probable-cause affidavit on Thursday's arrest, Garland County Deputy Richard Garrett stopped a black Honda Accord after it crossed the centerline in the 4400 block of Arkansas 7 north.
As the Honda was pulling into a parking lot to stop, Garrett noted that bags were being thrown out of the passenger window, so he called for backup and Deputy Chandler Overton arrived to assist, the affidavit said. Garrett gathered up the four plastic bags he saw being thrown, which contained a white crystal substance.
He spoke with the driver and passenger, and a computer check revealed the warrant for Fields and that the car belonged to a Jacksonville woman, according to the affidavit.
In searching Goings, deputies reportedly found $503 in cash in his pocket, the affidavit said. As Fields was being taken into custody, a fifth bag of white crystal was spotted in the seat where she had been sitting. Deputies also found digital scales in the floorboard and $3,061 in a pink zippered bag, the affidavit said.
According to the affidavit, the contents of the five bags field-tested positive for meth, 136.5 grams, or over 5 ounces. A witness at the scene gave deputies a written statement confirming that he "seen them throw bags out the window and deputies picked up three or more out of the parking spot where they threw them," the affidavit said.
Agents with the 18th Judicial District East Drug Task Force were notified and responded to the scene to assume the investigation, taking possession of the evidence and seizing the money and vehicle.
