Two adults in their fifties face multiple felony charges in Florida after two teenage girls were rescued from a house containing drugs, according to police.
Neighbors contacted the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) after seeing teenage girls in a home known for drug activity. Robert Evans, 53, and Valerie Rich, 54, are facing charges after police found oxycodone and drug paraphernalia, according to an arrest report.
Three weeks before the raid, a neighbor entered the home asking Evans and Rich to turn down their music. “She opened the storm door and when she came in the house they were laying there with syringes still hanging in their arms,” the neighbor’s husband told News4Jax. (RELATED: Indiana Police Find $2.8 Million In Cocaine During Routine Traffic Stop)
The two teenage girls are not related to Evans or Rich, according to investigators. One of the girls in Rich’s bedroom was hiding MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy or Molly, in her pants, according to deputies.
Both girls told investigators they had been living in the house for several months and using illegal narcotics daily, News4Jax reported. It is unclear whether the teens were runaways, and the relationship between the girls and Evans and Rich is still under investigation, per the outlet. The teenagers were turned over to the state’s Department of Children and Families.
A neighbor told New4Jax there were many young females entering and leaving the house. “Yeah, they’re pretty young. They look young. None of them appear to be over 21, 20 years old, so I mean they look young,” the neighbor said.
Evans is charged with child abuse, probation violation, illegal drug possession and running a drug house, while Rich is charged with child abuse, destroying evidence and drug possession. The investigation is still ongoing, and the pair could face more criminal charges, the outlet reported.
Gov. DeSantis and First Lady @CaseyDeSantis Unveil Plan to Prevent and Treat Substance Abuse https://t.co/iVxiW2gCFQ
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 17, 2023
The PCSO did not immediately respond to Daily Caller’s request for comment.