2 arrested for alleged child neglect, drugs
Published 12:00 am Saturday, August 13, 2016
A couple were behind bars in the Troup County Jail on Friday after they were discovered sleeping in a shed in the 200 block of Leathea Drive and allegedly in possession of methamphetamine.
The man and woman, identified as James Johnson, 27, and Mary Reed, 36, also had two young children staying with them, stated the Troup County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were called out to the residence on Thursday by the homeowner, officials said.
The homeowner told deputies they allowed Reed, Johnson and the two children to stay at her house for shelter. It is unclear how the family ended up staying inside the shed.
When deputies arrived they discovered Reed and Johnson in possession of a small amount of methamphetamine, TCSO officials said. The deputies also found the children unsupervised and “left in deplorable living conditions,” a news release stated.
The children were taken into custody by the Department of Family and Children Services, officials said.
The couple were arrested at the scene. Reed was charged with two counts of child deprivation and one count of possession of methamphetamine. Johnson was charged with one count of possession of methamphetamine.
The couple remain in the Troup County Jail awaiting a bond hearing.
Children found wandering on street
LaGrange police were investigating how three toddlers managed to leave their home and ended up wandering down the 500 block of South Greenwood Street about 9 p.m. Thursday.
A LaGrange police officer discovered the children, all under the age of 5 years old, walking down the road by themselves, according to a police report.
As other officers arrived to care for the children, their mother showed up on scene.
The mother told police she and her sister left the toddlers with two men while they walked to Wendy’s restaurant on Vernon Street to get some food.
When the women returned home, the men were standing on the front porch of the residence, the mother stated. When she asked where the children were, the men stated, “they didn’t know” and immediately began searching for them.
The mother told officers her children do not go out without supervision and the incident was an accident, according to the police report.
Officers turned the report over to LPD detectives for further investigation.
Man arrested with knife
A man was taken into custody about 4:30 p.m. on Thursday after people noticed him holding a knife and pretending to stab an imaginary person in the 100 block of Main Street.
The man was discovered sitting on a bench, agitated and making random statements, a police report stated. He was also found in possession of a small knife.
The man admitted LaGrange police officers warned him of his behavior around downtown businesses on Wednesday and was banned from the area, the report stated.
He was arrested and charged with criminal trespass.
Officers also forwarded the report on to LPD’s Community Outreach division to assist the man in enrolling in Troup County’s Mental Health Court.
Entering auto and theft
A woman called LaGrange police about 8:50 a.m. on Friday morning after discovering someone entered her unlocked car in the 100 block of Saint Angela Merici Court.
The woman told officers someone stole her Coach purse, debit cards and $10 in cash.
The purse was valued at $200.
Construction equipment recovered
Meriwether County Sheriff’s deputies located a stolen Caterpillar back-hoe off Hugh O’Neal Road on Aug. 4.
The equipment belongs to the Meriwether County Board of Commission and was last seen at a job site on Jan. 15 off Fleming Road in Luthersville, Sheriff Chuck Smith stated.
A deer hunter discovered the back-hoe wedged between two trees and concealed in some overgrown vegetation while riding his ATV, Smith said. The hunter then called the sheriff’s office.
The value of the construction equipment was estimated at about $60,000.
Anyone with information on who may have stolen the equipment is asked to contact the Meriwether County Sheriff’s Office at 706-672-4489.