Officer serving arrest warrant finds woman with meth loaded into needle, other paraphernalia

Caulfield resident Megan Loftis, 33,  appeared before Associate Judge Raymond Gross in court for a case where she’s charged with possession of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. 

She was released on bond supervision, and is scheduled to return to court April 23 for a criminal setting.

According to the probable cause statement, prepared by Ozark County Lt. Matt Rhoades, the case is in reference with an Aug. 2, 2023, incident. At 5 p.m. that day, Rhoades was conducting uniformed patrol on Highway 101 in Bakersfield, when he observed a white Chevrolet pickup at a home known for illegal drug activity, the report says. When Rhoades ran the plates on the truck, it showed that it was registered to an individual with an active felony warrant. He stopped and arrested that person, as well as Megan Loftis, who also had an active felony warrant for her arrest. 

“She had her purse in her hand and told me it was hers. During a search incident to her arrest, I located a used meth pipe, straw, needle, clear plastic baggies with a meth residue and other containers which all field-tested positive for meth,” Rhoades’ report said. 

He found a clear liquid, a plastic bag with a white crystal-like substance, a needle loaded with some of the clear liquid, a bottle with cotton filters and a brownish liquid substance. All the items field-tested positive for methamphetamine.

After being read her Miranda rights, Loftis reportedly admitted that all of the items were hers, and she had used them that day.