Jones Co. mom arrested after newborn tested positive for meth

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - The Jones County Sheriff’s Department arrested a mother for felony child abuse on Tuesday, July 26.

Tierra Lewis, 25, was arrested after her newborn son tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine.

“Back in May, we received a CPS referral in reference to a newborn at South Central Hospital who tested positive for amphetamine and meth,” said JCSD Sgt. J.D. Carter. “And after receiving medical reports, we were able to confirm that the male child was positive for meth and amphetamine, so that’s what resulted in the arrests yesterday for the mother.”

Carter said local agencies and counties are seeing an increase in children with drugs in their system.

“We are receiving more and more reports of children, not only children that are being born with this in their system but toddlers and other age groups, showing positive for environmental contacts,” said Carter.

Carter also said that he wants the community to know there is help for parents who struggle with drug addictions.

“The end goal is the child’s safety,” said Carter. “That’s the primary goal, to keep the child safe and also get the parents some kind of help. It’s not all about just putting them in a penitentiary and separating the kids from the parents. If we can reunite both of them completely clean, then to me, that’s a success story.”

Because Lewis was already out on bond from a previous felony charge, Jones County Jude Grant Hedgepeth revoked her $5,000 bond, which means she will remain in the Jones County Adult Detention Center.

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