News

Women sleeping in car get rude awakening

Harris
Barnhill

By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer

A Mobile woman and a Flomaton woman got a rude awakening March 19 after an Atmore police officer found them asleep in a car parked at a Church Street parking lot, with drugs and drug paraphernalia clearly visible inside the car.
The officer, who was sent to the site after dispatchers received a report of a “suspicious vehicle,” observed two females — later identified as Carolyn Faye Harris, 48, of Mobile and Madonna Faith Barnhill, 58, of Flomaton — who appeared to be sleeping inside the vehicle.
According to reports, the officer also spotted, in clear view, two small open boxes that contained glass pipes commonly used to ingest narcotics, as well as hypodermic needles and small plastic baggies that contained an unspecified amount of a crystal-like substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
Harris and Barnhill were awakened, then placed under arrest. Each is charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Harris was released from the Escambia County Detention Center March 20 on bond, while Barnhill remained in the facility early Tuesday, March 21.