HINTON W.Va. (Hinton News) – According to a criminal complaint, on Feb. 16, around 06:05, an officer arrived in the vicinity of Family Dollar to a shoplifting complaint. The officer was told that a female was shoplifting, and she had arrived in a Chevy truck. When the officer arrived on scene, he saw the individual, later identified as Brittany Williams, going through the vehicle.
The officer asked Williams what she was doing, and she reportedly said she was going back into Family Dollar to pay for some things. The officer went with Williams back into the store, and the purse she held set off the security alarm. At the same time, the person who made the complaint said Williams put items she had stolen in her purse and her vehicle.
The complaint states that Williams voluntarily allowed the officer to search her purse for stolen items, saying there was no stolen merchandise in there. When Williams handed over her purse to the officer, he could reportedly see candy inside that appeared to be from Family Dollar. The officer proceeded to search the purse and found several items that had allegedly been stolen.
As the officer was searching the purse, he also found a small cylinder-shaped pink container with a large crystal substance inside that appeared to be methamphetamine, according to the criminal complaint. The officer then read Williams her Miranda Rights, and she reportedly said she understood them. According to the complaint, Williams said she voluntarily waived those rights and agreed to answer questions.
The officer then asked Williams what was inside the pink container, and she allegedly confirmed it was methamphetamine. After the methamphetamine was processed, it was found to weigh 8 grams, according to the complaint.
Williams was placed under arrest for shoplifting and possession of a controlled substance. The officer asked Williams if there were more shoplifted items in the vehicle, and she reportedly said yes. The officer searched the vehicle and found ten items valued at $39.41.
At the time of publishing, Williams is no longer listed as an inmate at Southern Regional Jail.
