BELLA VISTA — Three Oklahoma residents were arrested Tuesday after attempting to fill forged prescriptions at an area business.
Elizabeth Portugal, 26, and Laura Hatley, 26, both of Tahlequah, Okla., were charged in connection with four felony counts, including forgery in the first degree, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a felony forgery device.
Joshua Barnett, 22, of Fort Gibson, Okla., was charged in connection with felony forgery in the first degree.
Barnett and Hatley also were charged in connection with misdemeanor fleeing on foot.
Officers responded to Cornerstone Pharmacy on Bella Vista Way just before 4 p.m. Tuesday for a fraudulent prescription call.
Portugal was arrested at the scene, but Barnett and Hatley ran. Both were later apprehended after a short foot pursuit, police said.
During a search of the subjects’ vehicle, police seized $829 in cash and several items including oxycodone, a ledger notebook, a paper cutter, hypodermic needles, rolling papers, a pill crusher, blank prescriptions, discount prescription cards and forged prescriptions.
The three are being held in the Benton County Jail awaiting bond hearings.