By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
An Atmore woman who gave birth more than a year ago to a baby who tested positive for marijuana, is finally behind bars.
Atmore Police Department Sgt. Darrell McMann reported that Christina Yanacheak, 41, was arrested November 30 on a charge of chemical endangerment of a child.
Police had been searching for Yanacheak since a joint investigation conducted by APD detectives and Escambia County Department of Human Resources investigators into reports from North Baldwin Infirmary staff that the child — born in May 2022 — had cannabis in its blood system when it was born.
Police, who had already moved to obtain an arrest warrant, had been looking for Yanacheak for more than a year, McMann said.
The crime is a Class C felony under Alabama law. Escambia County Detention Center records show the Atmore woman was still in jail Monday afternoon, December 4.
Drug raid
An Atmore man and woman were arrested November 27 after a raid of their Sims Street residence turned up almost two ounces of synthetic marijuana and almost half an ounce of methamphetamine.
McMann reported that officers recovered more than 10 grams of meth and more than 50 grams of synthetic cannabis. The search also yielded a “small amount of marijuana, a scale, a grinder and numerous plastic baggies and sandwich bags which are commonly used to distribute narcotics,” he said.
Arrested were 40-year-old Devon Monte Pace and 27-year-old Stephany Nicole Rice, 27, both of Atmore.
Each was charged with one count of unlawful possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance (synthetic pot), possession of a controlled substance (meth) and possession of drug paraphernalia.
They both remained behind bars Monday afternoon, December 4.
More meth
A Walnut Hill man was charged November 27 with possession of a controlled substance after local police recognized him as the subject of an outstanding warrant from Florida authorities.
Andrew Kelly Freeman, 54, was found to be in possession of an unspecified quantity of methamphetamine.
He was held in the county jail until his December 1 release to Escambia County, Fla. Sheriff’s Office personnel. There was no mention of the charges he faces in Florida.