HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) — A mother is behind bars after police say she had meth in her pocket and refused to hand over her baby to officers.
On Wednesday, Evansville Police officers were sent to the 1000 block of W Franklin Street to a report of a woman carrying around an infant and telling others she had recently given birth inside her basement.
The mother, 38-year-old Arrielle R. Tomlinson, had an active misdemeanor warrant out of Vanderburgh County, according to an affidavit.
Officers spoke with Tomlinson, who allegedly says she gave birth inside her basement on March 31 and didn’t go to the hospital because she was hiding from child protective services. According to police, the Indiana Department of Child Services had her other child.
Police say that when they told Tomlinson she was under arrest, she started yelling and clutched her child so that officers count not detain her. Several officers reportedly tried to convince her to hand over her child for nearly an hour.
As she was about to hand over her child, police say a man walked through the front door, causing Tomlinson to hold the baby tightly again. The man was someone that she wanted the baby to go with, according to police.
After a few more moments, officers were allegedly able to safely take the baby and handcuff Tomlinson. Police say they found over a gram of meth inside Tomlinson’s pants pocket.
Arrielle Tomlinson was booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail on charges of possession of methamphetamine, neglect of dependent, resisting law enforcement and failure to appear.
