BEDFORD — A Knightstown woman was taken into custody late last week after local police discovered her acting erratically and drinking liquor in public outside a local convenience store.
Marissa R. Newby, 28, of Knightstown, Indiana, was arrested by the Bedford Police Department on Thursday, May 28, 2026. She faces a misdemeanor charge of Public Intoxication following an incident at Revere’s gas station.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Bedford Police Officer Sarah Haluda, the incident began at approximately 11:35 p.m. Officer Haluda was at the gas station when she observed a woman, later identified as Newby, pacing back and forth on the west side of the property and talking to herself.
Newby reportedly continued to walk past the entrance doors repeatedly without entering the store, appearing to argue with herself. When the officer approached the building, Newby quickly walked away.
Inside the business, both a customer and a store employee were intently watching Newby through the window. The employee informed the officer that Newby had been at the property for some time and was actively drinking vodka straight from a bottle she was carrying. Both individuals expressed explicit concern over Newby’s impaired behavior.
Officer Haluda made contact with Newby, who smelled strongly of an alcoholic beverage and exhibited abnormally dilated pupils that were non-responsive to light.
During the questioning, Newby’s statements were highly inconsistent. According to police records, she initially stated she had left a rehabilitation facility to drink. Still, she then amended her story to say she had just left the IU Health Emergency Room against medical advice (AMA).
She admitted to drinking alcohol but denied being under the influence of any drugs, despite the condition of her pupils. She claimed to have a non-extraditable warrant out of another county.
Then she stated she was waiting for a ride from Indianapolis, but did not possess a cell phone and admitted she was unsure if the ride was actually on the way.
Officer Haluda discovered a partially full bottle of peach-flavored vodka that Newby had attempted to conceal inside a go-kart located near the area where she had been pacing. The officer offered to transport Newby back to the emergency room or to the Indiana Center for Recovery, but Newby declined both offers.
Newby was placed under arrest and escorted to the rear of a patrol vehicle, where she reportedly began laughing hysterically without cause.
While securing Newby’s personal belongings, which were inside an Indiana Center for Recovery folder, the officer located a handwritten note. The note stated that Newby was bored, wanted to get high, and was intentionally trying to leave the facility against medical advice so she could become intoxicated.
The bottle of vodka was photographed and destroyed at the scene. Newby was transported to the Lawrence County Jail for housing, where she logged a preliminary breath test sample of .129% breath alcohol content, well over the legal driving limit of .08%.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
