Casper Woman Arrested for Endangering Three Small Children With Methamphetamine
A woman was arrested Wednesday after she allegedly tested positive for methamphetamine and led authorities to discover methamphetamine paraphernalia, including syringes, in a bedroom where small children slept and played.
Kelly Reyes, 34, was booked into jail on three counts of endangering children by methamphetamine. If formally charged with those three counts during her initial appearance in Natrona County Circuit Court, Reyes could face up to 15 years in prison and $15,000 in fines.
Charging documents say a Casper police officer responded to a home on Salt Creek Highway to assist probation and parole agents with a home search after Reyes, who is on probation, allegedly tested positive for meth and marijuana.
Reyes arrived at the home with probation agents directly behind her. She was visibly upset as she led officers into her bedroom, past a babysitter who was caring for three small children.
Police say Reyes admitted to using meth in her room three days prior, and said the used syringes were still in her room. She reportedly showed police two used syringes, a glass lightbulb with a melted hole and one melted glass straw.
Reyes then reportedly admitted to "shooting up" with some friends in the days leading up to the search, and said those friends left a number of baggies and a scale in her room.
On the bed, police reportedly found one Crown Royal bag containing several unused jewelry baggies and a sparkly Hello Kitty container, which also had several unused jewelry bags inside. Also on the bed was an electronic scale with white residue on it.
All of those items were allegedly found in Reyes' bedroom, where police also reportedly found a crib and several children's toys on the floor. The scale with alleged meth residue was easily within reach of a small child, police say.
In the bathroom garbage can, officers reportedly found a used syringe containing about three milliliters of a murky liquid in the bathroom trash can. The bathroom, police noted, was between Reyes' bedroom and the children's room, with the used syringe reportedly on top of the garbage can and within easy reach of the children.
At about 4:15 p.m., police took protective custody of the three children. Reyes was arrested, and the children were ultimately placed with a grandmother.
Officers who booked Reyes into jail allegedly found a bottle of urine in one of Reyes' body cavities, in what police say was apparently her effort to pass a urine test.