2 women held on drug charges
Two Butler women — one nabbed with a bra stuffed with heroin — were arraigned Thursday in separate felony drug cases.
Shayna M. McDowell, 32, and Nancy A. Hinchberger, 50, were already being held in the Butler County Prison when state police vice officers charged them last week. Both have extensive criminal records.
McDowell has nine pending cases — mostly for drug trafficking — in Butler County Court.
In another case, she is accused of hitting a Butler Township officer with a car during an apparent getaway earlier this year.
Hinchberger was previously arrested this month after state police found her sleeping in a Franklin Township motel room where she had allegedly gone to buy drugs.
District Judge Lewis Stoughton arraigned the women on their latest charges, setting $100,000 bail on each woman.
McDowell is charged with felony and misdemeanor drug possession in connection with her arrest May 19 in Summit Township.
A vice officer knew she was wanted by Butler Township on an arrest warrant when he spotted her walking on Keck Road, authorities said.
She was subsequently found with 71 stamp bags of suspected heroin in her bra and another five bags in her pocket, according to court documents.
McDowell admitted that she was on her way to sell someone the five bags she had in her pocket.
Police said they later searched the room of a home where McDowell had recently been staying and found empty stamp bags, 11 syringes and other drug paraphernalia.
The unrelated arrest warrant was issued for McDowell in connection with an incident that took place shortly after 6:30 p.m. May 16 at Point Plaza.
In that case, she is accused of hitting Patrolman Rachel Dovidio, who had gone to the shopping center after a 911 hang-up call.
Investigators said when police arrived an employee at the Rite Aid pointed them to an intoxicated woman, later identified as McDowell, who had been “acting strange” in the store a short time earlier.
McDowell and another woman were in a car in the parking lot. While she was talking to Dovidio at the car, McDowell allegedly put the vehicle in reverse and backed out of a parking space.
“In doing so,” according to a police report, “she struck Dovidio, pinching the officer between the car and (a) parked car. The officer was able to roll up and onto the hood of the suspect vehicle to avoid serious injury.”Dovidio was not hurt but the incident touched off a manhunt for McDowell, who drove away and later took off running on foot in the woods around Alameda Park.She is awaiting trial on felony assault and additional charges in that case. Other pending trials are for drug trafficking and possession, and child endangerment.McDowell has been in the county prison since her arrest May 19.Hinchberger's arraignment Thursday was for an alleged controlled drug buy more than two years ago.Investigators said that on Aug. 14, 2015, she sold 1.18 grams of crack cocaine to an informant for $200 on Route 38 in Summit Township.Hinchberger is charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and criminal use of a communication facility, both felonies.Additionally, she is charged with possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors.Documents did not indicate why it took so long for police to file charges.Preliminary hearings for McDowell and Hinchberger in their latest cases are set for Sept. 26 at Stoughton's office in Chicora.Hinchberger also has a preliminary hearing scheduled Sept. 27 at the office of District Judge Bill O'Donnell in Slippery Rock in an unrelated case.State police charged her with misdemeanor drug possession after she and a man were found Sept. 2 at the Longhorn Corral Saloon and Motel on Route 422 in Franklin Township,She admitted that she had gone to a motel room, documents said, “to purchase crack cocaine at $80 per gram.” She said she smoked the drug and went to sleep there.Police said Hinchberger was later searched and found with suspected crack and a crack pipe.
