BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

WARFIELD — Police arrested a 26-year-old woman for allegedly endangering her minor children by having illicit substances within their reach.

Ariel N. Carver of Warfield was taken into custody Friday at Dempsey Housing in Warfield. She faces several charges, including possession of marijuana, first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), drug paraphernalia buy or possession, endangering the welfare of a minor and third-degree possession of a controlled substance (drug unspecified).

Reports Friday morning to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Social Services triggered the arrest. A caller tipped off officials about drugs and paraphernalia in Carver’s apartment, accessible to her minor children.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Chris Kidd responded to the scene around 11 a.m. upon request from the DSS. As the deputy approached, a male exited the apartment through the backdoor and ran to the river.

While Carver initially claimed no illegal items were inside her home, a consenting search revealed otherwise.

Kidd discovered a glass pipe typically used for smoking methamphetamine in the bedroom. Beside it on the nightstand lay a substance suspected to be marijuana and two pills thought to be gabapentin. Under the mattress, the deputy found a silver compact with a white powder believed to be methamphetamine.

Authorities deemed these substances a “significant danger” to the children’s safety. DSS removed the minors for alternate placement.