WV KNIFE AND GUN CLUB

(11/22/2019)
FAILED PARENTING - A Fairview woman was arrested after deputies say they found a child in a camper within reach of a loaded shotgun, drugs and electric wires Wednesday.

According to deputies, the responded to a camper on the end of Mt. Herman Road. Child Protective Services received a referral on 37-year-old Rhonda Morgan, who is the mother of a 3-year-old child.

Deputies found Morgan and her child at the camper, owned by her boyfriend. Deputies had a capias warrant for her boyfriend.

A search was done on the inside of the camper, deputies say. They did not find the boyfriend.

Morgan was outside of the camper while the child was inside, court documents state.

While deputies were searching for the boyfriend, they found a 20 gauge shotgun with a shell in the chamber behind the television in the living room. It was within reach of the child.

Child Protective Services workers searched the camper and found a zipped up case with three-fourths of a Suboxone pill. Inside the case was a marijuana pipe and a pipe to smoke methamphetamine, both with residue.

The case was found within reach of the child, inside a base board storage area in the kitchen, according to deputies.

Workers say they saw a wall outlet near the kitchen sink that had exposed bare wires. The outlet had a phone charger plugged into it and the electric was on in the camper.

The refrigerator was removed to allow heat from a wood burning stove to heat the camper, as well as what was built behind the camper, deputies say. In the space were the refrigerator was, there were electric wires that had been wired together and showed bare wire.

Deputies say it appeared Morgan and the child were living in the camper because they found clothes and toys.

Child Protective Services took custody of the child. Deputies arrested Morgan.

As deputies were arrested Morgan, she tried to remove something from her right front pants pocket. A small glass vial with a small amount of crystal methamphetamine inside it was found.

When asked if she was hiding anything else, she said she had a bottle of clean urine in her pants.

Morgan has been charged with child neglect creating a risk of injury. She is being held at North Central Regional Jail.