A man and woman accused of possessing methamphetamine and marijuana while driving with a 2-year-old on a Miller County, Ark., road in February, are facing criminal charges.
Mindy Floyd, 31, was allegedly driving a 2004 Chevy Impala at about 11:15 p.m., Feb. 23, along Miller County 18 near an intersection with Miller County 15 when she was pulled over for an expired license plate, according to a probable cause affidavit. Floyd and her passenger, Mark Choate, 48, were arrested after Miller County Sheriff’s Office deputies allegedly found meth, pot and drug paraphernalia in the car, with some of the suspected drugs just above the head of a 2-year-old girl in the back seat.
Floyd, who reportedly was driving on a suspended license, allegedly gave officers consent to search the Impala. Two partially smoked marijuana cigarettes, a plastic bag containing suspected marijuana, a multi-colored glass pipe with residue, digital scales, and medical clamps were found in the car. Also discovered was a box with a glass jar containing substances officers suspected to be marijuana and methamphetamine just above the child’s car seat.
“It should be noted the odor of marijuana inside the car was very strong throughout the entire vehicle, even in the trunk,” the affidavit states. “The suspects were driving with the narcotics and narcotic equipment in the presence of their 2-year-old daughter who was in a child safety seat in the back of the vehicle with narcotics just above her head.”
The young child was released to Department of Human Services staff while Floyd and Choate were taken into custody on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and endangering the welfare of a minor. Both Floyd and Choate are currently serving terms of felony probation for other crimes and face time in prison if their existing probations are revoked in addition to prison or jail time for the new alleged crimes.
