Police Find Heroin And Syringes In Toddler's Crib
GRAYSLAKE, Ill. (STMW) -- Police found syringes, plastic bags of heroin and other drug paraphernalia in and around a toddler's crib last week while serving an arrest warrant in a north suburban apartment.
Officers went to the apartment in the 500 block of North Lake Street in Grayslake about 7:30 p.m. on June 7 to arrest 27-year-old Jason Tomblin, who was wanted on a Lake County warrant for obstruction of justice, Grayslake police Cmdr. Matt McCutcheon said.
But when officers arrested Tomblin, they grew suspicious and decided to further investigate the apartment. Tomblin's girlfriend, Ashley Merz, was also home at the time, and her mother, who owns the apartment, gave officers permission to conduct a search.
Merz and Tomblin were living in one bedroom of the apartment with Merz's 3-year-old son, McCutcheon said.
Officers found a number of drug-related items in the bedroom, including capped and uncapped syringes, some small plastic bags with white powdery residues that field tested for heroin, cannabis, pipes and unidentified pills, McCutcheon said.
Some of those items were found in and around the crib, he said.
Merz was taken into custody and charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, while Tomblin was charged in connection with the warrant, McCutcheon said.
The Illinois Dept. of Children and Family Services was notified and is also conducting an investigation, he said. Child endangerment charges are possible.
DCFS spokesman Jimmie Whitelow said the agency is investigating an allegation of neglect and has had prior contact with the family based on pending investigations of allegations of neglect on May 11 and June 1.
The negelct allegations involve Tomblin, Merz and Merz's mother, Whitelow said. Tomblin is not the child's father, and the toddler has been placed in the care of relatives.
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