Courtesy-BCSO
COLUMBUS, Ind. – The Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) busted a Columbus mother for criminal neglect of her children and drug-dealing charges on Monday, July 21.
Just after 10 a.m., deputies responded to a welfare check in the 13500 block of North US 31. Upon arrival, they made contact with the caller, a family member, who told them that they had discovered two juveniles unsupervised inside the residence.
The caller told BCSO that they had observed the kids’ mom asleep on the couch with what appeared to be narcotics within immediate reach of the children. After contacting law enforcement, a verbal altercation occurred between the caller and the mother, who then fled the home.
The mother was later identified as 22-year-old Emily Deweerdt of Columbus. She was apprehended at a nearby BP gas station.
A search warrant was applied for and granted for the residence. Inside the house, authorities allegedly found over 26 grams of suspected methamphetamine, various prescription medications, and drug-related items, including narcotics, packaging material, and a digital scale.
Deweerdt was booked into the Bartholomew County Jail on the charges of:
- Dealing in Meth
- Possession of Meth
- Neglect of a Dependent
- Possession of a Controlled Substance
She remains in custody on a 72-hour hold. The Indiana Department of Child Services was contacted, and the children were safely relocated.
All persons are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Evidence, scale, controlled substances- Courtesy BCSO
