By Jeremy Pittari, Item Staff Writer
The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE — Two drug cases and a report of some vandalism at Nicholson Elementary kept Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department investigators and deputies busy.
Both drug cases began as complaints of alleged methamphetamine activity, and both led to arrests of suspects on related charges. The vandalism incident is still under investigation.
The first such case began with a complaint of alleged manufacture of methamphetamine in the area of Liberty Road. Chief Investigator Donnie Saucier said after getting several complaints over a couple week’s time investigators used surveillance and other investigative techniques to secure a search warrant on March 1, for a home located at 69 Liberty Rd.
In the search the investigators found not only an active methamphetamine lab on the kitchen counter but several precursors including pseudoephedrine pills, ammonium nitrate, lithium batteries, lye, camp fuel and also a small amount of the finished product. The resident of the home, 47 year-old Joseph Gilbert and a visitor, 39 year-old Sandra Burk, of 103 Kirkwood Drive, were taken into custody. Both were charged with manufacture of a controlled substance.
A second case involving the alleged manufacture of methamphetamine led to an arrest on Tuesday. This case also began with several complaints of the alleged activity. Saucier said after getting the complaints investigators went to the home of Glenn Mitchell, 47, located at 170 Ozona Rd. After Mitchell gave the investigators consent to search the home they found what appeared to be several old methamphetamine cooks, including two HCL generators. A small amount of the finished product was also found in the search.
Mitchell was charged with manufacture of a controlled substance, Saucier said.
In a separate incident the department was called to Nicholson Elementary to check out a report concerning some malicious mischief. The complainant who reported the incident stated that they saw four teenagers walking behind the school at about midnight. When the complainant checked the situation out they found a broken window at the music trailer, four picnic tables overturned, a broken window at the main building and damage to a roof over a walkway.
Saucier said when deputy James Adams arrived on scene he was able to determine that it appeared the suspects had caused damage to the walkway’s tin roof by walking on it. Some shingles were also found to be missing from the main building and several playground signs were damaged.
Since the incident is still under investigation Saucier asks anyone with information pertaining to suspects to call Detective Rhonda Poche at 601-403-2540.
