A Missouri man is facing a drug charge following an incident in the Walmart parking lot in Fairfield.
William Nowatzke, 43, of St. Louis, Missouri, has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, second offense, an aggravated misdemeanor.
According to court documents, emergency personnel were dispatched to the Walmart parking lot at about 10:44 p.m. on Saturday, March 14th, for a report of a man in a vehicle who appeared to be unresponsive and breathing erratically.
When a deputy arrived, he observed Nowatzke inside the vehicle with his head back and noticed he was clutching something plastic in his left hand. The deputy opened the vehicle door, at which point Nowatzke woke up and quickly placed the plastic item into the pocket of his coat, according to the complaint.
Court records state Nowatzke initially denied putting anything in his pocket, but after a short time, he removed the plastic item, which also contained a piece of notebook paper holding a white crystalline substance. Authorities say Nowatzke told law enforcement he had taken fentanyl.
A narcotics identification test was performed on the crystalline substance, which allegedly tested positive for methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Nowatzke gave consent for officers to search his vehicle. During that search, authorities reported finding a white powdery, rock-like substance in the driver’s side door and another small piece of white crystalline substance underneath the driver’s seat.
Court records also note Nowatzke has a previous felony controlled substance conviction from October 2nd, 2010, in Johnson County, Missouri.
Nowatzke’s bond was set at $2,000 cash or surety. He has since posted a surety bond. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for March 25th.
