A Milligan woman was arrested Monday evening and charged with inhaling fumes from aerosol cans.
Nanette Elizabeth Newton, 41, 1484 Milligan Highway, was arrested shortly after 8 p.m. Monday by Carter County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Sarah McWhirter and charged with public intoxication and the unlawful use of inhalants.
McWhirter said she first encountered Newton at approximately 7 p.m. after responding to a call on Highway 400 in Watauga after callers told 911 a female subject was unresponsive and had been inhaling from aerosol cans.
“Upon my arrival I spoke with (the complainants) who had found Nanette Newton on North Roan Street in Johnson City in (a bank) parking lot while waiting for their boss,” McWhirter wrote. “Ms. Newton asked (the complainants) if they could give her a ride to Cripple Creek Road in Watauga and that she was on oxygen and could not walk.
“Shortly after (the complainants) picked up Ms. Newton, they noticed Ms. Newton began huffing on two aerosol cans.”
The complainants told the officer Newton began to have difficulty speaking, began breathing heavily and then passed out.
Members of the Carter County Rescue Squad also responded to the call and arrived on scene before the officer.
According to McWhirter’s report, medical personnel said they observed Newton regain consciousness and begin huffing on the aerosol cans. Medical personnel told McWhirter they had to take the cans away from Newton to prevent her from continuing to inhale the fumes.
Newton was then taken to Sycamore Shoals Hospital for treatment.
“Ms. Newton then walked out of the hospital without clearance at approximately 7:40 p.m. prior to my arrival,” McWhirter said. “Shortly after 8 p.m. Officer (James) Sexton, and Sgt. (Patrick) White from the Elizabethton Police Department located Ms. Newton in front of Lowe’s in Elizabethton and waited with Ms. Newton until I could arrive on scene.
“Officer Sexton advised Ms. Newton had just bought another aerosol can which he gave to me at the scene. The aerosol can was ice cold at the time Officer Sexton handed it to me indicating Ms. Newton had already been huffing on the aerosol can.”
McWhirter said she located a receipt in the bag the can had been in showing it had been purchased at 7:53 p.m. after Newton had left the hospital.
At that time, Newton was taken into custody and charged with public intoxication and the unlawful use of inhalants. She was taken back to the hospital in order to be medically cleared for incarceration before being taken to the Carter County Detention Center.