A woman was arrested and her daughter taken after multiple hazards, including a loaded gun, were allegedly found within reach of the child.
Rhonda Ann Morgan, 37, of Fairview, is charged with gross child neglect creating substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death by the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department.
Two deputies responded to the camper where Morgan lived on Mt. Herman Road prior to the arrival of Child Protective Services, which had a referral on Morgan, according to a criminal complaint.
When deputies arrived, Morgan was outside the camper and her 3-years-old daughter was unsupervised inside, the complaint said.
The camper is owned by Morgan’s boyfriend, James Fletcher, and she allowed deputies to search it for him because there is a warrant for his arrest, the complaint said. He was not found.
While looking for Fletcher, a loaded 20-gauge shotgun that was “easily accessible” by the child was found behind the TV. The weapon was removed for safety as CPS was on its way, the complaint said.
When the CPS workers arrived, Morgan let them inside the camper and allowed them to search it, the complaint said.
During the search, workers found a zip-up case with three-fourths of what Morgan said was a suboxone pill, a marijuana pipe with residue and a methamphetamine pipe with residue. The case was found in a base board storage area in the kitchen and was also described as “easily accessible” to the child in the criminal complaint.
The kitchen also had an exposed wall outlet near the kitchen sink with exposed bare wires and the refrigerator was removed to allow a wood burning stove to generate heat from an addition that was built behind the camper, the complaint said.
More “easily accessible” exposed wiring was discovered in the area where the fridge used to be which created the risk of serious injury to death if the child were to touch them, the complaint said. The camper also did not have running water.
CPS decided to take Morgan’s child and deputies arrested her.
After she was cuffed, a deputy caught Morgan trying to remove a small glass vial with some crystal methamphetamine inside, the complaint said. After being asked if she was hiding anything else, Morgan admitted she had a bottle of clean urine in her pants.
Morgan was arraigned in Monongalia County Magistrate Court and is being held in North Central Regional Jail in lieu of $25,000 bond.
