Woman charged with drug distribution

A 20-year-old Jackson woman remained in police custody Tuesday after she allegedly sold methamphetamine to an undercover narcotics officer earlier this month.

Makala M. Lopez was arrested Monday on a felony count of distributing a controlled substance and was being held at the Cape Girardeau County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bond. Court records had yet to list a lawyer for Lopez or a date for her court appearance, although most defendants are arraigned the Monday following their arrest. Lopez is charged with a felony that carries up to 15 years if convicted.

Sgt. Jeffrey Heath, an undercover narcotics agent with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, said he bought a gram of meth from Lopez in the parking lot of her residence, the officer said in charging documents required for arrest. After Lopez paid $100 for the drugs, Heath signaled a nearby arrest team. The substance field tested positive for methamphetamine.