A Willow Springs woman is facing charges after police say she stole alcohol from a West Plains convenience store and was later found with a controlled substance in her vehicle.
According to a probable cause statement filed in Howell County, Officer Daiman Meyer was at Casey’s General Store on Preacher Roe Boulevard around 3 a.m. on August 12 when he saw Erika Sue Ricklefs leave the store carrying a ten‑pack of American Honey whiskey shooters. The clerk told the officer that Ricklefs had taken the $10 item without paying.
Rickles was taken into custody, and a K‑9 unit was called to check her vehicle. Police say K‑9 Flash alerted to the odor of narcotics, leading officers to conduct a probable‑cause search. Inside a purse on the front passenger seat, officers found a pill bottle containing roughly 30 Concerta/methylphenidate pills, a Schedule II controlled substance. The bottle had no legible prescription, and Ricklefs could not provide one.
She has been charged with possession of a controlled substance with a bond set at $5000.
