March 28, 2024

Police Blotter Jan. 8, 2020

Newton Police Department

• Kayla D. M. Royce, 30, of Newton, was arrested at 5:58 p.m. Jan. 5 on a Jasper County warrant for failure to appear on a driving while license suspending charge and taken to the Jasper County Jail.

• Chris A. Shepherd, 44, of Newton, was charged with operating while under the influence at midnight Jan. 4 in the 600 block of South 12th Avenue West. According to the Newton Police Department, officers located a black Dodge Ram with a non working license plate light. Newton officers followed the vehicle and it swerved into the other lane and then back to the correct lane before maintaining control in its own lane. Newton police then initiated a traffic stop and the vehicle was slow to yield to the emergency lights. Newton police made contact with Shepherd and they could smell an odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle. The driver was identified as Shepherd and he was asked if he had been drinking and he stated he had been. Officers asked Shepherd to perform field sobriety tests. During the tests, Shepherd refused to do the walk and turn test and the one-leg stand stating he was too drunk to take the tests. Shepherd was arrested and transported to the Jasper County Jail where he later refused the DataMaster. On the way to the Jasper County Jail, Shepherd was asked where he was headed and he stated he was going home to get more beer. Shepherd was also asked when the last drink he had was and he stated it was at the time of the stop. Shepherd admitted to Newton police he believed he was over the legal limit to drive.