POWELL, Tenn. (WATE) — A man and woman face child neglect and drug charges after a child was found in the backseat of a car where the two were suspected to have overdosed.
Deputies responded to the parking lot of Children’s Hospital Urgent Care – Emory Center for a reported overdose on Tuesday, Sept. 20 around 7 p.m. According to the arrest report, a 911 call said that man and woman were overdosing with a small child in the vehicle’s back seat in the parking lot.
An officer reported that Amber Cox, 26, was in the driver’s seat on her knees leaning toward 22-year-old Timothy Hooks. According to the report, Cox was awake, sweating profusely, and lethargic. The officer said Cox’s speech was slurred or mumbled.
Hooks was not conscious and hospital staff had given Hooks one dose of Narcan, according to the report.
According to the report, Hook and Cox told the officer they had used heroin before taking a young boy to the children’s hospital. Hooks said the child was complaining of back pain and uncontrolled urination.
In the report, a search of the vehicle is detailed. The search found a small plastic bag in a cigarette pack in the passenger side door handle containing a white powdery substance (heroin 0.11gm), and two small burnt marijuana cigarettes “roaches” were located on/in the center console area of the vehicle, and a purse found in the trunk contained two small red straws containing powdery residue, a digital scale, and (2) 1/2 pills later identified as buspirone.
Hooks and Cox were both charged with child abuse/neglect/endangerment of a child less than 8 years old, contributing to dependency/neglect, public intoxication, simple possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. Cox was also charged with driving under the influence.
Both were taken into custody and driven to the detention facility.
The officer on scene also contacted DCS who responded to the scene to conduct an investigation. A family crimes detective also responded.