A mother and father in Pennsylvania have been arrested after an illegal drug was found inside of their child’s lunchbox at daycare, leading police to discover even more illegal substances at their home.
The Carroll Township Police Department announced in a news release that officers responded to a daycare in Dillsburg on Thursday, May 28, in response to a report that cocaine was found in the lunch bag brought in by Emily Arter and Joel Rodriguez-Melendez’s child.
Officers then obtained a search warrant for the parents’ home, where they ultimately found cocaine, marijuana and other controlled substances, cash and packaging materials during their search on Monday, June 1. Both Arter, 30, and Rodriguez-Melendez, 31, were arrested and taken to York County Central Booking.
Authorities learned of the situation when a worker at Little Dreams Daycare allegedly discovered a “small clear bag that contained a white powdered substance” in the side pocket of the lunch box, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit viewed by Law & Crime.
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The staff member suspected the powder was drugs and called 911 to report their findings. Police then tested the substance, which came back positive for cocaine.
Following their arrests, Arter and Rodriguez-Melendez are now facing multiple charges that include conspiracy to manufacture with intent to deliver and endangering the welfare of children.
Arter is reportedly no stranger to the Carroll Township Police Department, as officers have known her “for years” and believe she’s “supplying cocaine to most of Dillsburg,” according to Law & Crime.
Police said that the couple’s neighbors have submitted numerous complaints about suspected drug dealing at the home, with some claiming that they’ve seen “a lot of people coming and going from that residence during different times of the day and evenings and the people are not staying there too long before leaving again.”
During the police’s search of the home, officials found Arter, Rodriguez-Melendez and four kids, all under the age of 10, at the property. Police added that some of the cocaine they found was accessible to the children.
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The kids were sleeping at the time their home was searched and they were subsequently turned over to “responsible adults” when their parents were arrested.
Arter and Rodriguez-Melendez are scheduled to appear in court on June 29.
It is not currently clear if either Arter and Rodriguez-Melendez have entered pleas or retained legal counsel following their arrests. The Carroll Township Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
