Wilmington police recently went to a local apartment, searching for a man who was wanted on outstanding warrants. The man was found outside the apartment and placed under arrest. In a search of the apartment related to the arrest, a woman with a baby was discovered inside, and she ended up being arrested on separate drug charges.
Details are sketchy about what exactly occurred inside the residence. However, authorities allege the woman had heroin in her possession. Police claim that when they confronted the woman, she tried to get rid of the drugs by eating them.
The woman was arrested and held in jail under a $40,000 bond. She has been charged with possession with intent to sell/deliver heroin and also with misdemeanor child abuse. There was no information disclosed describing the amount of drugs seized or why police elected to allege that she had intent to sell or deliver. The man she was staying with is facing separate charges not related to the drug arrest.
It is unknown what exactly occurred when police searched the North Carolina apartment. Nevertheless, the woman facing drug charges will likely have an uphill legal battle ahead of her, especially due to the added child abuse allegations. However, she is fully entitled to mount a defense against the charges. And unless a prosecutor is able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt in court that she is guilty of the crimes alleged, she remains protected by the same presumption of innocence that covers all individuals accused of a crime in Wilmington and throughout North Carolina.
Source: WWAY News Channel 3, “Woman arrested after allegedly trying to eat drugs, man arrested on outstanding warrants,” June 1, 2012
