Casper Woman Arrested for Endangering Child With Methamphetamine

A woman was arrested Wednesday and a three-year-old child was medically checked for methamphetamine after police allegedly found drugs in an apartment where the child was staying.

Tina Baker, 44, was taken into custody on charges of endangering children with methamphetamine and felony possession of methamphetamine.

Two Casper police officers went to Baker's apartment shortly before 8:30 a.m. Wednesday to conduct a welfare check after receiving a call that Baker reportedly was taking care of a child and possibly using drugs.

Baker was on probation, according to court documents, but had not reported to her probation officer as scheduled in December.

Officers first knocked on the door at 8:30 a.m., the affidavit says, but had to call the apartment manager and continue knocking before Baker finally answered the door after 10:15 a.m.

Baker and a man were in the apartment along with the child.

Probation officers also came to the apartment and Baker told them she had smoked methamphetamine at a friend's house the day before, according to the affidavit.

When probation officers asked Baker if there was methamphetamine in the apartment, she allegedly said "I don't know what he brought in here," referring to the man who was staying there.

Court documents say Baker eventually told officers she thought there was a methamphetamine pipe in her bedroom.

Officers had a drug dog brought the apartment to conduct a search. Department of Family Services employees also responded, as the child was placed into protective custody.

The dog reportedly hit on two ashtrays in the bedroom as well as a small case that contained a clear tube with white residue inside. Residue from the ashtrays allegedly tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine, and one of the trays reportedly contained a piece of broken glass.

Court documents note that only methamphetamine residue was found in the apartment. No weighable amount of the drug was located.

Baker told Department of Family Services workers that the three-year-old had vomited the night before and had "bad" diarrhea that morning, according to court documents.

The child would be medically checked and undergo a hair folicle test to check for methamphetamine in the child's system, the affidavit says.

Baker was arrested, and an officer reportedly told her that her recollection of smoking at a friend's house didn't align with methamphetamine being found in ashtrays in her bedroom.

"I know, there's no excuse for using meth," Baker replied, according to the affidavit. "I've just been going through some hard times."

Baker was taken to the Natrona County Detention Center and allegedly told a nurse there that she "smoked a couple of bowls of meth yesterday."

Baker was previously convicted on a misdemeanor drug charge in 2010 and a felony drug charge in 2015, according to the affidavit.