One Bell County mother was arrested and charged with criminal abuse and endangering the welfare of a child after a welfare check at her home.
Two deputies and a social services worker went to the home on Tuesday, around 2:30 p.m.
When no one answered the door, they went to the back door to find it cracked open. After a neighbor told them that she had witnessed a child being thrown around and bleeding the night before, the deputies entered the residence.
http://liarcatchers.com/contact.php
Inside the home, deputies say there was an overwhelming odor of urine and fecal matter in the apartment.
26- year old Brandi Howerton, of Pineville, gave the deputies permission to search the apartment. Deputies say that Howerton’s children, a 5-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy, were soiled.
The deputies and the social worker say they discovered garbage and dishes piling up and spoiled food throughout the apartment.
According to deputies, the toilet did not flush and Howerton said the water had been turned off for several days and she was in the process of being evicted.
They say the upstairs bathroom was overflowing with fecal matter. In one of two bedrooms they found syringes and a foldable knife.
Deputies say they found syringes in Howerton’s bedroom as well as a small metal container with crystal residue believed to be meth, and a cellophane wrapper with what was believed to be meth residue in it that was purposely concealed.
Howerton admitted to using meth.
A relative of Howerton’s was contacted to take the children from the apartment.
Deputies arrested Howerton and she is currently lodged in the Bell County Detention on charges that include two counts of Criminal Abuse, second degree, two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Minor, one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence and one count of Drug Paraphernalia.
Howerton is set to be arraigned Wednesday morning.
