Methamphetamine Trafficking was among the charges served yesterday on one of the two women from a late-night Shoplifting incident at the Laurens Wal-Mart. Laurens City Police were dispatched on the case at 11:29 Wednesday night and were told two woman and a child had left in a car after taking items from the store. Officers arrested both women and placed the 5-year-old child in Emergency Protective Custody.
Officer Gallo states officers were at McDonalds at 105 Fleming Street at 9 minutes after midnight Thursday morning when he observed a white 2-door Honda Civic pull into the parking lot. During a search of the vehicle officers reportedly checked a white stuffed bear to find a red zippered case inside. The case allegedly contained two plastic baggies with 18.6 grams of methamphetamine. Officers also reported recovering numerous smoking apparatuses along with a digital scale and a large number of small baggies. Suspect Melissa Evans reportedly told the officers that the white bear belonged to her. 40-year-old Melissa Dawn Evans of 3101 Price House Road, Woodruff was charged yesterday with Shoplifting, Driving under Suspension, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor and with Trafficking in Methamphetamine. Warrants cite the investigation of Officer Gallo as indicating that Ms. Evans contributed to the delinquency of a minor by knowingly allowing a co-defendant to place merchandise into a child’s bag to commit the crime of shoplifting at 922 East Main Wednesday night, and that Evans was in possession of approximately 18.6 grams of crystal methamphetamine, and was also in possession of a scales and a large quantity of small plastic bags commonly used in the distribution of methamphetamine, at 105 Fleming Street early yesterday morning.
With bond set at $25,000 on the Meth Trafficking charge, Melissa Dawn Evans remained in the Johnson Detention Center this morning with cash or surety bonds totaling $31,302 on all four charges.
Laurens Police also reported recovering items stolen from Wal-Mart in a child’s book bag. The child’s mother is 37-year-old Clar Dorothy Louise Galicia-Garza, who had addresses noted in the Georgia cities of Monroe and Walton. She is now charged with Shoplifting, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, Unlawful Neglect of Children and with Possession of Methamphetamine. Warrants citing the investigation of Officer Gallo stated that Ms. Galicia-Garza willfully and knowingly placed her 5-year-old daughter in danger, neglecting her safety and placed her in an unsafe enviroment by using her to commit crimes, and by possessing methamphetamine in the child’s presence early yesterday morning on Fleming Street. She allegedly possessed .2 gram of meth on Fleming Street yesterday. Cash or Surety bonds on the four charges for Clar Galicia-Garza totaled $25,650. She also remained in the Johnson Detention Center this morning.