×

Upshur woman facing child neglect charges

BUCKHANNON — An Upshur County woman is behind bars after allegedly being found under the influence of methamphetamine while carrying a young child without a jacket in below-freezing temperatures.

Brandi Dawn Morris, 31, of Buckhannon, is charged with one misdemeanor count of child neglect creating risk of injury, one misdemeanor count of public intoxication and one misdemeanor count of obstructing an officer. She is incarcerated at Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $85,000 cash or surety bond, set by Upshur County Magistrate John M. Coffman.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Upshur County Magistrate Court, Deputy T.A. Gordon and Sgt. Marshall Powers, both of the Upshur County Sheriff’s Department, received a call from Upshur County 911 regarding a female carrying a child and screaming loudly.

Upon arrival, Gordon attempted to speak with Morris on Valley Green Drive and Holbrook Road. Morris continued to scream at the officers on the scene, police said.

Gordon noted in the report that Morris displayed “several signs of impairment by methamphetamine,” the complaint states.

Morris was holding a 6-year-old child that was not wearing shoes or a jacket. The temperature was 28 degrees and the child was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. Additionally, the child had a “severe” head cold prior to this alleged incident, according to court documents.

Officers took custody of the child and Morris resisted arrest while they were trying to detain her and put her into the patrol cruiser. Later drug testing and an interview revealed that Morris snorted methamphetamine that evening, according to the complaint.

•••

Also arrested in Upshur County was Rodney Dewayne Lantz, 56, of Buckhannon, who is charged with one misdemeanor count of indecent exposure, one misdemeanor count of second-offense public intoxication and one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He is incarcerated at TVRJ on a $10,000 bond, set by Coffman.

On March 20, Buckhannon Police Department Sgt. W.J. Courtney received a complaint of indecent exposure at Jawbone Park and began to investigate, according to a criminal complaint filed in Upshur County Magistrate Court.

While reviewing video surveillance footage from the park, officers noted Lantz can be seen pulling his genitals out in front of multiple subjects, including two juvenile females, and “waving it around,” the complaint states.

Also on the videos, Lantz can be seen on the same day taking a brown liquid, later identified as Captain Morgan spiced rum, out of a backpack and drinking it before passing it to other individuals, the complaint states.

He also provided a 14-year-old juvenile with a lighter to light a cigarette that another individual at the park had given her. After lighting the cigarette, the juvenile can be seen handing the lighter back to Lantz, police said.

Lantz has one prior public intoxication charge with a conviction date of Feb. 8, 2005, according to the complaint.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $3.92/week.

Subscribe Today