Photo: Ashley Kromoff
A Gassville woman who was found passed out in a room at the Executive Inn in Mountain Home with her 2-year-old daughter sleeping heavily in the next bed appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday. Her jury trial is now set for the week of Jan. 27.
Twenty-six-year-old Ashley Kromoff was arrested in early May after an anonymous tip to Mountain Home Police led officers to the motel room the Gassville woman and her child occupied.
Kromoff initially faced charges of possession of methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and endangering the welfare of a minor.
It was announced to the court she has been in the Care Center Ministries addiction treatment program for five months. The program takes a year to complete.
After Kromoff and the 2-year-old were found in the motel room, an investigator with the Arkansas Department of Human Services took the child into protective custody. The little girl was taken to Arkansas Childrens Hospital (ACH) in Little Rock, where she was found to have methamphetamine in her system.
The charge of introduction of a controlled substance into the body of another, a Class Y felony, was added to Kromoffs charges, after reports were received from ACH. A Class Y felony is the most serious crime classification in Arkansas not punishable by death.
The male who called police said he was worried about the little girl in the room with Kromoff and wanted law enforcement to conduct a welfare check.
The responding officers were told by the motel manager that a man, woman and young child had been in the room, but the male, who had rented the room, left. The manager said he believed Kromoff and the child were still inside.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the manager knocked on the door and yelled for someone to respond. When no one opened the door, the manager used his master key to enter the room.
When the door opened, officers saw Kromoff apparently passed out in one bed and the 2-year-old in the other.
The officers reported trying to wake Kromoff with verbal commands with no results. An officer then shook the woman. The officers were not able to get a response until they pulled Kromoff out of the bed and shook her again.
According to court records, Kromoff was under the influence of some type of drug and was very disoriented. There were several small plastic bags in the room containing a white crystal-like substance, along with a green leafy material.
In addition the officers reported finding paraphernalia used for the ingestion of drugs.
The officers noted the little girl remained fast asleep during the commotion caused by trying to wake her mother and appeared sluggish even after waking.
During a search of the room, the officers said they found no clothing for the little girl.
Kromoff was reported to have been upset and not cooperative with the officers.
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