Deputies: New Castle hair stylist tried to avoid DWI arrest with offer of free haircuts

Douglas Walker, Muncie Star Press
·2 min read

NEW CASTLE, Ind. — A New Castle hair stylist reportedly made a bad situation worse with a suggestion she allegedly made to a Henry County sheriff's deputy.

Angela Dawn Showalter, 49, was in the process of being arrested for driving while intoxicated on May 9 when she allegedly told the deputy that if he did not take her into custody, she would provide him with "free haircuts for life," according to a court document.

As a result, Showalter is charged in Henry Circuit Court 2 with both bribery, a Level 5 felony carrying up to six years in prison, and driving while intoxicated, a Level 6 felony with a maximum 30-month sentence.

According to an affidavit, the deputy encountered the New Castle woman about 12:35 a.m. May 9 — outside a liquor store in the 1700 block of South Memorial Drive — after dispatchers received a report of a motorist driving erratically in the area.

The deputy reported he "detected the overwhelming odor commonly associated with an alcoholic beverage coming from the interior of (Showalter's) vehicle," adding that the New Castle woman had "glassy eyes" and "slurred speech."

More: Police: New Castle woman tried to avoid drug arrest with $500 bribe

A breath test measured her blood-alcohol content at 0.217. In Indiana, motorists with a BAC of 0.08 are considered intoxicated.

According to the affidavit, Showalter urged the deputy to drop her off at a family member's home rather than arrest her. She also mentioned the possibility of giving him "free haircuts for life," the document said.

After a blood sample was taken at Henry County Hospital, Showalter was delivered to the Henry County Jail.

She continued to be held in the jail on Friday under a $13,500 surety bond and a $1,250 cash bond. Her trial is scheduled for Sept. 30.

The New Castle woman also faces a domestic battery charge filed last July in Henry Circuit Court 3. Her trial in that case is set for Aug. 14.

Her record includes convictions — in 2010, 2011 and 2020 — for driving while intoxicated.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Offer of free haircuts to deputy leads to woman's arrest for bribery