When Detective Chad Anthony pulled into the Mercy Memorial Hospital parking lot around 7 p.m. Thursday, he was looking for one man, but he ended up making multiple arrests and removing three children from a potentially harmful situation.
Anthony was originally investigating Harry Smith Jr. in connection with the burglary of the Rockford C-Store. Smith had tried to cash a lottery ticket he had stolen the night before. The ticket came up as stolen and Smith fled before police arrived. He was later located in the hospital parking lot and Anthony approached him, according to Ardmore Police reports.
Upon making contact with the suspect, Anthony recognized another man in the parking lot to be Marquez Collins, 21. Collins was already under investigation for child endangerment.
Major Rickey D. Lawrence said Anthony searched Collins and found crack cocaine and an undisclosed amount of cash on his person. He then approached Collins’ vehicle where his girlfriend Angela Cannon, 19, and three young children were sitting. Anthony questioned Cannon and she handed over a diaper filled with more than two ounces of marijuana, Lawrence said.
Collins’ was arrested for possession of CDS, possession with intent to sell and child endangerment. Cannon was arrested for similar charges of possession with intent to sell and child endangerment.
Smith was also arrested and faces pending second degree burglary charges. All three were taken to Carter County Detention center.
“Because he (Anthony) took the extra steps he had success,” Lawrence said. “He made sure that he continued to follow up and because of that, the children are in a safe place now.”
Lawrence said the couple was already under investigation for child endangerment, because they left their children sitting in a vehicle near a retail store. The children, twin 1-year-old babies and a 2-year-old, were placed in state custody.
