Two individuals are facing charges of child endangerment, after the pair were arrested in related incidents, during the late Wednesday, early Thursday hours this week.
Ella Marie Baldwin is facing a single charge of Felony Child Endangerment- Methamphetamine. Baldwin heard the charges read to her in Natrona County Circuit Court, before Judge Brian Christensen, tearfully responding to questions put to her from the bench.
Also appearing in Circuit Court on Thursday (2/2/17) afternoon was Russell Lee Sydow, who also faces a single charge of Felony Child Endangerment- Methamphetamine.
The maximum penalty for each charge is a fine of $5,000, 5 years incarceration, or both.
Police say they made contact with 25-year-old Baldwin, just before 11:00 pm on the night of February 1st. According to arrest affidavits, police claim that Baldwin was driving a vehicle without a driver’s-side headlight nor a rear-registration light.
When officers made contact with the suspect, they say that Baldwin exhibited visible signs of drug intoxication, prompting the use of a K9 unit to do an open-air search around the vehicle.
Through the open-air K9 search, and a subsequent hand-search of the vehicle, police say that they found a small plastic jeweler’s bag with suspected methamphetamine residue, as well as a hard plastic container with suspected meth reside. A search of Baldwin’s person also yielded one glass pipe with suspected meth residue.
During questioning, Baldwin indicated she had had been staying at Sydow’s home in Casper. Police claim that Baldwin admitted to using methamphetamine with Sydow on Wednesday. Police also say that Baldwin indicated that a young child was in the residence at the time when they used the drug.
Baldwin was arrested and booked into jail, in the meantime police made contact with 46-year-old Sydow at his home.
The child that Baldwin had spoken of earlier was in the residence at the time and was subsequently taken into protective custody.
After a warrant was issued on the residence a search found plastic jewelers bags with suspected methamphetamine residue, a silver spoon with suspected meth residue, a plastic “tooter” with suspected meth residue, and a wooden pipe containing suspected marijuana residue.
Police do note in the arrest affidavits that the areas where the suspected paraphernalia was found, was within potential access of a young child.
During her initial appearance in court Thursday afternoon, Baldwin was given a cash or surety bond amount of $5,000 on her charge. Sydow was, respectively, given a cash or surety bond amount of $2,500.
The next stop for both suspects will be for a preliminary hearing, where it will be determined if their charges will be bound over to district court.
Charges are subject to change, and all suspects are considered innocent unless otherwise proven in court.
