Three children were removed from their home after police found two active methamphetamine labs inside.
Their mother and two men were arrested. Together, the trio faces 13 felony charges.
Charlotte Boardwine, 22, of 19th Street, Johnathan M. Pruitt, 22, of Bristol, Va., and Frank Ramsey, 37, of Bristol, Va., were arrested at the 19th Street home late Thursday.
Their arrests were the result of an investigation by the Bristol Virginia Police Department, the Virginia State Police and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, according to a written statement from the Bristol Virginia Police Department.
Police searched the home and found active shake-and-bake meth labs, and several bottles used in previous meth cooks, the statement said.
They also found sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide, ingredients often used to make meth, according to documents filed in Bristol General District Court.
The three young children were checked at Bristol Regional Medical Center under supervision of the Department of Social Services and then released to other family members, the statement said.
“It makes the whole situation more serious [when children are involved] because the people making the meth are endangering themselves and their health,” said Bristol, Va., Police Capt. Maynard Ratcliff. “It brings a whole new light whenever children are involved.”
He said the children’s health is in danger when they live in a home where meth is made.
“There’s always a chance of explosion,” Ratcliff said. “The fumes are toxic and they can be very unhealthy for children.”
Ratcliff said officers find it frustrating when they discover children in homes where meth is made.
“It’s really frustrating to think that adults would subject their children to such a situation,” he said. “We feel frustration and disbelief.”
Pruitt and Ramsey were both charged with two counts of manufacturing 28 grams or more of a substance containing meth, possession of two or more meth precursors. Pruitt was additionally charged with three counts of allowing meth to be manufactured in the presence of children. Boardwine was charged with conspiracy to manufacture meth and three counts of allowing meth to be made in the presence of children.
Online court records indicate that both Pruitt and Ramsey have prior traffic-related charges in the city. Boardwine has no criminal record.
All three are being held without bond in the Bristol, Va., jail.
arobinson@bristolnews.com
(276) 645-2531
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