Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Custody dispute yields child endangerment, numerous other charges
Lawrenceburg Now
A custody dispute in Lawrenceburg ended Saturday with a couple being arrested on numerous charges, including child endangerment and weapons violations.
Officers with the Lawrenceburg Police Department were summoned to a home located at 323 Debus Street at 2:45 Saturday afternoon. The resident reported that his ex-wife had stopped by to pick up their children, ages 7, 6 and 2 for visitation. He said that her current boyfriend had accompanied her and that he had a court order specifying that the children were not to be round him.
Officers spoke with the boyfriend, twenty-seven year old Timothy Ray Gardiner of 106 Lodi Road in West Point, while he was seated in the front passenger seat of their vehicle. They report that he became agitated and began to move in a manner that brought officer safety into question.
To ensure there was not threat they had Gardiner exit the vehicle and undergo a pat-down for weapons. During the pat-down, the reporting officer indicates that he felt something in Gardiner’s pocket “that I was certain was narcotics.” The item turned out to be a plastic bag containing crystal meth. At that point Gardiner was arrested.
Officers report that the children’s mother, thirty year old Rebecka Jean Robinson, also of 106 Lodi Road, began to yell at Gardiner and “tried to get to him” in the patrol car. She was subdued and officers began to search her vehicle.
Officers searched Robinson’s purse inside the vehicle and report that it held several items of contraband, including roxycodone, syringes, small zip lock bags, digital scales with check weights, a peppermint tin containing plastic bags and traces of crystal meth, a burnt spoon, and a log book.
As they continued their search, officers located a loaded syringe above the driver’s side visor along with a 410 shotgun, nineteen shotgun shells, and a butane torch. Robinson’s 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe was seized along with her cell phone.
The reporting officer notes that as he was filling out paperwork Robinson’s phone rang continuously and he asked her to turn it off. He said that, while handcuffed, she appeared to comply “then suddenly spun around” and slammed the phone onto the pavement, breaking it. He reports that Robinson began to laugh and said, “Try to get anything off it now.’”
The children were returned to their father and a referral was made to the Department of Human Services. Gardiner and Robinson were transported to the Lawrence County Detention Center for incarceration.
Gardiner was booked under charges of possession of Schedule II narcotics for the purpose resale, possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of a firearm, and three counts of child endangerment.
Robinson was booked under the same charges as well as one count each of illegal possession of Schedule II narcotics and tampering with evidence. Both have been scheduled an initial appearance in General Sessions Court on April 7, 2017.
Gardiner and Robinson were held under bonds of $51,000 and $142,000 respectively.
