Mother Arrested After 5-Year-Old Found With Pot

The mother of a 5-year-old girl who was found with marijuana on the way to school has been arrested on drug charges, Gwinnett Police said Thursday afternoon.

Taneisha Lewis, 23, face charges after police investigated a Monday-morning incident at La Petite Academy in unincorporated Norcross, where 19 grams of marijuana was found in the girl’s book bag. The girl’s uncle, Earnest Boyd, 26, also was arrested on a drug charge unrelated to the marijuana.

La Petite Academy is located on Indian Trail Road.

Police said in a media release that the pot was found by a bus driver, who reported smelling something “funny” on the girl’s clothing. The bus driver told police that the girl pulled out a bag containing 10 smaller bags of marijuana, and “told the bus driver that her mommy put it in there.”

Police contacted the mother and searched her vehicle and the address she provided, 1508 Hunters Club in Norcross, but there were no drugs, and the child was allowed to return home.

On Tuesday, investigators found that Lewis had been stopped for a traffic violation on Monday, and had provided the officer a different address, 2110 Preston Park Drive, Apt. 306, in Duluth, where Boyd lives.

Narcotics investigators searched the apartment on Wednesday and found clothing, medicine, mail and other items belonging to Lewis and her daughter in one of the bedrooms. They also found clonazapam pills that were not prescribed to any of the residents. Two grams of crack cocaine was found in Boyd’s room.

Police charged Lewis with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, obstruction of a law enforcement officer and possession of a schedule IV substance. Boyd was charged with cocaine possession.

Both adults were bonded out of the Gwinnett County Detention Center. DFCS has been alerted and the girl is staying with family.