A Washington mother and daughter are in Washington County Jail after they were arrested Friday morning by members of the Washington County District Attorney's Drug Task Force.
Amanda Lynn Ingram, 23, of 520 Broad St., and her mother, Donna D. Titchnell, 46, of 550 Broad St., were taken into custody after investigators served a search warrant at their homes. A warrant will be obtained for the arrest of Titchnell's husband, Christopher C. Titchnell, 47, of 550 Broad.
District Attorney Steven Toprani said the family was operating a distribution network selling marijuana out of their homes.
Ron Levi, task force director, said they had been getting complaints about the traffic in and out of the home for the last month or so. Purchases were made at the homes by a confidential informant.
In the search of Ingram's apartment Friday morning, investigators found a large quantity of suspected marijuana, a Winchester, 12-gauge shotgun that was sawed off, another long gun, $908, digital scales and packaging materials.
At the Titchnell home, detectives found nine individual bags of marijuana packaged for sale, five marijuana pipes, boxes of plastic bags, scales, a safe containing money and additional money in the bedroom.
And the arrests couldn't make neighbors of this Eighth Ward neighborhood any happier.
"I love the effort by this district attorney," said Don McKnight, the self-proclaimed mayor of Washington's West End.
McKnight, who has lived in the 500 block of Broad for 35 years and who grew up on Grove Avenue, is very active in the area's neighborhood watch program.
"We walk the neighborhood every other Friday," McKnight said. "They see us up here and know what we are out there doing. I'd like to see more people walking with us.
"There are elderly people who are afraid to come out," he added. "I'm telling you the DA is my man, and Mayor (Sonny) Spossey has been great."
Chris Andreetti also loves seeing the task force investigating drug activity in the West End. Andreetti, who has lived in the West End for 36 years, has a young family that he worries about.
"My kids have been sleeping on the living room floor," Andreetti said. "It is a damn shame they can't even sleep in their beds."
Both men pointed out houses in the area involved in shootings. Bullets went through one home, near a couch where a child usually slept.
Ingram and Donna Titchnell each were arraigned before District Judge Jay Dutton on charges of possession and possession with intent to deliver marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal use of a communication facility. Both were placed in Washington County Jail on $25,000 bond, each.
Police will obtain a warrant for Christopher Titchnell on charges of possession and possession with intent to deliver marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Washington police assisted.