By Josh Bergeron

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

A Salisbury woman was arrested Wednesday after allegedly being found sniffing dust cleaner near Kmart.

Meghan Lofgren Salter, 31, of 226 N. Long St., was arrested and charged with larceny and inhaling fumes for purpose of causing intoxication. Last year, Salter was charged with a similar offense after being disoriented while driving.

After her arrest, she was placed under a $500 bond, and she remained in jail Thursday morning.

Salisbury Police Department spokeswoman Capt. Shelia Lingle said Salter’s larceny charge stems from an incident at Walmart. Lofgren allegedly went through the store’s grocery entrance, picked up two cans of dust cleaner and a Snapple from a refrigerator near the cash register. Lingle said Lofgren used a shopping bag she had brought into the store to hold the items. Lofgren then allegedly tried to leave Walmart.

The police report describes Lofgren as “soaking wet” and covered in mud.

Lingle said store employees asked the woman to stop. Store employees were able to take back the stolen items.

Later, first responders were dispatched to Kmart and allegedly found Salter lying in bushes near the store with a container of dust cleaner held to her face. She also had scratches on her face and fingers, according to the police report.

Salter refused treatment by Rowan County EMS and allegedly refused to drop the dust cleaner when asked, according to Lingle.

She was booked into the Rowan County Detention Center at 9:55 p.m. on Wednesday.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246