Traffic stop leads to drug arrest

Anonymous Register staff report The Richmond Register Thu May 05, 2011, 12:00 PM EDT

RICHMOND — A routine traffic stop Tuesday led to the arrest of a Madison Avenue man.

A Richmond police officer, Kelly Rouse, stopped a vehicle on Turpin Drive at about 5:30 p.m., after the officer discovered a warrant for the arrest of one of the passengers, Joseph Reed, 22.

“Reed’s furtive movements in the vehicle raised suspicion and a canine team was called to the scene to examine the vehicle,” said Chief Larry Brock of the Richmond Police Department.

After the canine alerted to the presence of an odor of a controlled substance, a search of the vehicle produced a Percocet tablet, a syringe and a plastic baggie containing a white powder residue under the seat where Reed had been sitting.

He was charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Reed is lodged in the Madison County Detention Center in lieu of a $5,000 bond.

A Richmond mother was arrested Tuesday for allegedly endangering the welfare of her three children.

At about 11:15 p.m., officers “received information that prompted a welfare check on three children at a residence in the 500 block of Westover Avenue,” Brock said.

When officers arrived, they found Melissa Dotson, age 41, allegedly “intoxicated to the level that made her incapable of safely caring for her children,” Brock said.

The children were ages 1, 2 and 5.

Dotson was taken into custody and lodged in the detention center, charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a minor. The children were placed in the care of a responsible relative.       

Officers were dispatched early morning Friday to the Best Western hotel to investigate suspicious activity in one of the rooms.

“Upon arrival, officers detected the odor of marijuana emanating from the room and identified one of the occupants as Timothy J. Burns, age 35, Garden City Drive,” Brock said. 

While speaking with Burns, officers allegedly observed him attempting to conceal a container.

“Officers retrieved the container and found that it contained 20 Klonopin pills,” the chief said.

Burns was taken charged with third-degree possession of a controlled substance and was and lodged in the detention center, where he later was released.

Thefts:

• A resident in the 300 block of Norwood Drive reported Sunday that a Homelite weed trimmer was stolen from his garage sometime during the past six months. The estimated loss is $130.

• The manager of Ferguson Waterworks reported Monday that a gray tool box containing numerous hand tools had been stolen from the back of a company truck while it was parked over the weekend. The truck was inside a fenced area at the time of the theft, Brock said. The estimated loss is $200.                   

• On Monday, the parent of a student at Caudill Middle School reported that her child’s white iPod Touch had been stolen Thursday or Friday while the child was at school. The estimated loss is $250.

• The parent of a student at Clark-Moores Middle School reported that her child’s silver iPod Touch had been stolen Thursday or Friday while the child was at school. The estimated loss is $250.

Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call RPD at 623-1162.