Two Mountain Home residents, 27-year-old Steven Gauger and 29-year-old Samantha Simpson, have been arrested on felony drug-related charges, while four children ranging in ages from 2 to 8 are now in the custody of the Arkansas Department of Human Services.According to the probable cause affidavit, officers from the Mountain Home Police Department attempted to conduct a welfare check on the four children Wednesday. After having no contact, two additional attempts were made Thursday morning.During the third attempt, officers made contact with Simpson, who invited them into the residence. She told officers Gauger had barricaded the front door and refused to answer their previous attempts to conduct a welfare check. She said he had taken two of the children to the doctor.
(Steven Gauger)Officers reported immediately smelling the odor of marijuana. As they were escorted to the bedroom where the other two children were, they observed numerous articles of drug paraphernalia used for the ingestion of marijuana and methamphetamine in plain site.Officers also reported the residence was in disarray, with clothes, trash, piled dirty dishes and old food on the counters and floor.
The other two children, ages 4 and 2, were located in a bedroom, coughing and appeared to be ill.
The officers observed a purse, belonging to Simpson, in the middle of the children’s bedroom. In plain view was a glass container with suspected marijuana.
(Samantha Simpson)
A search warrant revealed numerous bags of marijuana and drug paraphernalia throughout the residence. Many used small baggies with white power residue were located. Glass pipes used to ingest methamphetamine and marijuana were found in locations accessible by the young children.
A further search of the purse found in the children’s bedroom uncovered suspected marijuana, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
Gauger is charged with six felony drug-related offenses, while Simpson is charged with seven. They both also face a misdemeanor drug-related offense.
The two are being held on bonds of $50,000.
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