CONNEAUT —
A Tuesday afternoon preliminary hearing has been set for two Conneaut people who police say were keeping three young children in a house that held drugs and filth.
Barbara Melrose, 31, and Travis Hayford, 30, both of 351 Adams St., pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of permitting drug abuse, endangering children and aggravated possession of drugs, the latter charge a felony, court officials said. They will both be represented by public defenders.
The charges stem in part from the June 17 discovery of a methamphetamine lab in one room of the house by police investigating a domestic violence complaint. The occupant of the room, James Shaver III, was bound over this week to the Ashtabula County grand jury on felony charges. Melrose and Hayford deny any knowledge of the lab, police have said.
Also found in the house was meth, meth-making “components,” marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia, officers said in a report.
Police also said the house was in deplorable condition, strewn with trash and “pests,” according to a report. One room was covered in human feces, officers said. The three toddlers living in the house were picked up by grandparents, police said.
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