Kids found living in squalor, near drugs
By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Editor’s note: Please be advised that this article contains graphic descriptions from police reports.
An Atmore couple remained behind bars in the county jail this week after their July 30 arrest on child endangerment and felony drug possession charges that evolved from the discovery by city police of three children, each under the age of 4, living in squalor inside the family’s residence.
The discovery stemmed from a response by city police to a reported domestic incident at a Jack Springs Road residence and resulted in the arrests of Corderela Dirden, 37, and Nikki Presley, 24, after police — while searching for Dirden, who was the subject of several misdemeanor warrants — came upon the children, who were sleeping inside the couple’s filth-filled residence.
According to APD reports, some of the children were in a bedroom that was “infested with roaches and other insects,” and its floor “littered with dirty diapers, food, feces and other waste.”
At least one other child was asleep in the living room, “in close proximity” to methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, police said.
Reports show the incident began around 4:15 p.m., when police were sent to a residence in the 300 block of the county road due to a report of an ongoing domestic disturbance.
When officers arrived, they encountered a male and a female in the front yard who claimed they weren’t involved in an argument or any other type of disturbance.
Police learned that the female involved in the reported outdoor argument, Lori Nelson, 50, of Atmore, was wanted on an active felony warrant for failure to appear in Baldwin County Circuit Court and answer a charge of possession of dangerous drugs. She was detained as APD officers continued to investigate and was eventually turned over to a Baldwin County deputy and taken to jail in that county.
Police were aware that Dirden was the subject of active APD misdemeanor warrants. Presley reportedly came outside the couple’s residence, informed officers that her husband was inside, and invited them to come inside and look for him.
That’s when police discovered the trio of toddlers. Dirden, who was also located inside, and Presley were each charged with one count of chemical endangerment of a child, one count of possession of a controlled substance, and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Under the primary provision of Alabama Criminal Code Section 26-15-3.2, “a responsible person commits the crime of chemical endangerment of exposing a child to an environment in which he or she … knowingly, recklessly, or intentionally causes or permits a child to be exposed to, to ingest or inhale, or to have contact with a controlled substance, chemical substance, or drug paraphernalia.”
Police reported that Escambia County Department of Human Resources personnel were contacted, and the children were turned over to a family member.
Dirden and Presley were still listed on the Escambia County Detention Center inmate roster Tuesday morning, August 6. No bond amount was listed for either arrestee.