Police now believe that an incident in west Salina in which a woman was struck by a pickup late Wednesday afternoon was a possible drug transaction that had gone bad.
Salina Police Captain Police Captain Paul Forrester on Thursday reported that when officers arrived in the 1200 block of Andrew Avenue at approximately 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, they found Ronika Trembley, 45, of Salina, lying in the roadway with a large amount of blood around her.
Trembley had been visiting with Reesa Huiett, 23, of Minneapolis, in the front yard of a residence in the 1200 block of Andrew Avenue at approximately 5:30 p.m. Wednesday when blue, four-door Dodge Ram 1500 pickup pulled up and three younger occupants -- two males and a female -- asked for some street addresses, he said Thursday.
Trembley went out to the pickup to talk with the trio. At some point during the conversation, she walked in front of the vehicle and the pickup took off, striking Trembley and also Huiett's 2005 Chevrolet Venture van, Forrester said Thursday.
Forrester said this morning that during the investigation, police uncovered evidence that led them to believe that the incident possibly was a drug transaction that had gone bad. According to Forrester, police received information that Koltton Glavin, 24, of Beverly, was the driver of the pickup and that the pickup was at a south Salina restaurant. Officers responded to that location, Glavin exited the restaurant, and was detained, he said.
Through the investigation, police learned that Glavin had been contacted by one of the women at the Andrew Avenue address who wanted to purchase methamphetamine, Forrester explained. When Glavin and the other two arrived in the pickup at the Andrew Avenue location, they presented Trembley with what was presumed to be ice cream salt and they were paid $450, Forrester said. Trembley then realized that what they had sold her was not methamphetamine and she attempted to grab onto the pickup as Glavin drove off, Forrester explained.
Trembley remains in a Wichita hospital with a head injury, facial lascerations, and a broken pelvis, he said.
Glavin was arrested on the following requested charges, Forrester said.
1 count of aggravated battery
1 count of distribution of a simulated controlled substance
1 count of theft by deception
1 count of criminal damage to property
Forrester said that charges for the other two occupants of the pickup are forthcoming.