Woman hides in attic attempting to avoid arrest

According to Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department reports, deputies made their way to a Tennessee Street, West Point home in an attempt to locate twenty-eight year old Ashley Grace Hardwick.

Residents told officers that Hardwick, their relative, was in an upstairs bedroom. Deputies found that the door was locked and both they and the relatives were unable to get anyone inside to respond. With the residents’ consent deputies breached the door only to find that Hardwick was not inside. They did, however, find syringes and a blackened spoon, indicative of drug use, lying on a table beside the bed.

Deputies report they could hear a shower running and approached the bathroom, announcing who they were and their purpose for being there. Another female informed them that she was showering. They asked her to exit the shower and open the door so that they might continue the search for Hardwick.

The female opened the door to let deputies inside, but they report that Hardwick was not there. They did notice some stacked storage containers, debris on the floor, and an opening that led into the attic. When they checked the attic, they report that Hardwick was crouched between two wooden beams.

Once Hardwick was removed from the attic she was placed under arrest on the two outstanding warrants for failure to appear in court and alias capias. Deputies report that when they questioned her about the drug-related items in her room, she admitted that the items belonged to her and said that she had recently “shot up opana.” As a result, she was additionally charged with evading arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Hardwick was transported for incarceration at the Lawrence County Detention Center without further incident.