Newton Citizen

COVINGTON - Two tourists ran afoul of local law enforcement this week after allegedly mixing drugs, alcohol and a little nudity.

Kacee Thole, 30, of Boise, Idaho, and Teresa Taggart, 47, of Fairland, Okla., were apparently passing through town Thursday afternoon when they made a stop at Mickey D's on U.S. Highway 278.

The Covington Police Department first heard about them when a witness reported seeing Thole fall out the window of a pickup near the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant parking lot. The witness went on to say the woman climbed back in the truck and the truck continued traveling into the Food Depot parking lot, swerving in an erratic manner.

When officers arrived in the area, they found the pickup circling in and out of the lanes of the parking lot, occupied by only one woman.

"While speaking to the driver (Taggart) about the complaints we had received, I observed a large smear of blood on the passenger door," an incident report

completed by Officer Asher Dozier states. "I also smelled a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the passenger area of the vehicle and smelled an odor of burnt marijuana ... The driver stated that her passenger was very drunk and had been mooning people and had fallen out the window."

The woman told Dozier that the passenger was now inside Mickey D's. Officers went into the bar and retrieved the passenger, who was identified as Kacee Thole.

"I tried to inquire about why Thole went into the bar while Taggart circled the parking lot, but having conversation was near impossible as she was rarely able to answer a question given with a correct answer ... (for example) I would ask where she came from and she would tell me where she was going," the report states.

Officers suspected the two might be under the influence and conducted a field sobriety test on the driver, who took off her boots to perform the required exercise. It was determined that she was driving under the influence.

While searching Taggart's purse in conjunction with her arrest, a device known as a "hitter pipe, commonly used in smoking marijuana" was discovered, along with small bag of marijuana, according to the report.

Taggart admitted to owning the pipe, but denied knowledge of the marijuana, as did the other woman. In fact, they said, that was why they were at Mickey D's. They had been there earlier and bought "$140 worth of weed, (but) she lost it between Mickey D's and the hotel room so they had returned to Mickey D's to buy some more."

Taggart was arrested and charged with DUI and possession of marijuana.

Officers further noticed that Thole, the woman who fell out of the truck, had suffered a large laceration to her right hand and EMS was called.

"Thole stated that she was very drunk and was mooning people and flashing people out the window when she somehow fell ... hurting her hand," the report states.

She was charged with public drunk and possession of marijuana.

The pickup the pair were driving had a camper on the back and two dogs were found inside. Newton County Animal Control was called to the scene and that agency took custody of the dogs.

Barbara Knowles can be reached at barbara.knowles@newtoncitizen.com.