Kids found in Opp meth lab
Published 11:59 pm Monday, February 23, 2009
Two small children were removed from their Opp home Friday after law enforcement located a meth lab inside their South Jackson Street residence.
Drug Task Force agent Ray Dixon said that on Friday, 30-year-old David Bradley Godwin and 22-year-old Ashley Michelle Cox were arrested and charged with two counts of chemical endangerment of a child, first-degree manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, second-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The couple was arrested in a joint effort with the Opp Police Department and the Covington County Sheriff’s Office after a search warrant for their South Jackson Street residence was issued based on reports of illegal drug activity.
“A search of both the inside and outside of the residence led to the discovery of not only marijuana but also the pseudoephedrine, red phosphorus and iodine used to make meth,” Dixon said. “Two small children — ages 2 and 4 — were also at the residence at the time of the officers’ arrival. They were removed from the scene and released to the custody of another family member. The hardest thing that we deal with at the DTF is seeing children subjected to situations like this.
“It’s very unfortunate for the children to be removed in the middle of the night while mom or dad goes to jail,” he said. “Every time we have a situation like this, we relate how our own kids would feel, and it’s a sad time for all of us.”
In addition to the charges listed above, Godwin is also charged with violation of probation. Each was booked into the Covington County Jail under an $845,000 bond.
It was the second time in less than a week DTF agents have located a meth lab inside a Covington County home.