A welfare check on a child turned into a meth lab bust for a sheriff’s department drug detective on New Year’s Day.
Arrested on charges of initiation of a process intended to manufacture methamphetamine was 39-year-old Scott Lynn Sykes of Smithville.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, the detective went to Sykes' home on Alexander Street check on a small child at the residence.
Sykes reportedly gave the detective consent to search the home, where rubber tubing, a 20-ounce Pepsi bottle, acid, ice compresses that had been cut open, a plastic baggie with a white substance believed to be lye, and pliers and cutters were found on a bedroom.
Ray said the detective also found a two-liter bottle partially filled with lighter fluid, an empty Kingsford fluid container and a 16-ounce bottle partially filled with acid in the kitchen.
Sykes allegedly admitted that the items belonged to him.
He was arrested and the house was placed under quarantine.
His bond was set at $60,000 and he will appear in court on Jan. 17.
Meanwhile, Amy Jeanette Lawson, 35, was charged with introduction of drugs into a penal institution on Jan. 6.
Ray said that after Lawson was booked into the jail, correctional officers found her asleep and had difficulty waking her.
After she awoke, the officers allegedly found her to be very unstable and unsteady on her feet.
A search reportedly revealed two plastic baggies of pills in her bra.
One bag allegedly contained several broken pills, while the other held two white pills, believed to be Xanax.
Her bond was set at $10,000, and she will appear in court on Jan. 10.
Ross Matthew Peterson, 23, was charged with theft of property over $1,000 for an alleged November credit card theft.
 Ray said that Peterson began using a home equity line of credit card belonging to a family member without consent on Nov. 20.
The card was allegedly used at Region's ATM at Walmart on several different occasions through Nov. 26.
It was reportedly used at several local businesses as well.
Ray said the total amount drawn out was $7,301.61.
The case was investigated by a criminal detective of the sheriff's department.
Peterson’s bond was set at $10,000 and he will appear in court on Feb. 28.
William Hardie Morris, Jr., 45, was charged with a second offense of driving under the influence on New Year’s Eve.
According to the sheriff, Morris was found behind the wheel of a vehicle sitting in a church parking on Old Snow Hill Road with the the engine was running.
A deputy who spotted the vehicle and stopped to do a welfare check reportedly found Morris to have a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and to be unsteady on his feet.
He allegedly performed poorly on all field sobriety tasks, but submitted to a blood test.
Morris’ prior DUI offense was on Oct. 15, 2009 in DeKalb County.
His bond was set at $5,000 and he will appear in court on Jan. 10.
Allen Lee Russell, Jr., 28, of Nashville was charged with driving on a suspended license on Dec. 31.
Ray said that Russell was stopped for a light violation and could not produce a license.
A computer check allegedly revealed that his license was suspended in Florida for failure to pay traffic fines.
His bond was set at $2,500 and he will be in court Jan. 17.
Joel Thomas Hayes, 34, of Dowelltown, was charged with driving on a suspended license on Jan. 3.
Ray said that  Hayes was operating a motor vehicle on the public square in Smithville when he was stopped by a deputy who had prior knowledge that his license was suspended.
His bond was set at $1,500 and he will appear in court on Jan. 31.
Michael Brandon Redmon, 28, was charged with driving on a suspended license on Jan. 2.
Ray said a deputy saw a truck attempt to turn in the right lane on Highway 70 West by Snow Hill Mini-Storage and then stop in the middle of the lane.
The lawman reportedly helped Redmon get the truck off the roadway, then asked for his license and registration.
Ray said a computer check revealed that Redmon's license were suspended for failure to satisfy a citation on June 19 in Warren County.
Redmon had allegedly been advised earlier that same day by an officer on a previous call that his license were suspended and warned him not to be driving.
His bond was set at $1,500 and he will appear for Jan. 9.
Two Sparta men, 51-year-old Daryl Paul Grabowski and 25-year-old Ronnie Lee Grimes III, were charged in a DUI case on Jan. 6.
Grabowski was charged with driving under the influence by allowance for allowing Grimes to drive his vehicle while under the influence.
Grabowski was also cited for violation of the implied consent law.
Ray said that Grabowski was both the owner and passenger of a vehicle driven by Ronnie Lee Grimes III.
Grabowski reportedly had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and was unsteady on his feet.
Ray said he submitted to, but performed poorly on, some field sobriety tasks, but refused to perform other tasks due to health reasons.
Grabowski allegedly told deputies that the reason he allowed Grimes to drive his vehicle was that Grimes wasn't as drunk as him.
Grabowski refused to submit to a blood test.
Grimes is charged with driving under the influence. He was further issued citations for violation of the implied consent law, failure to maintain his lane of travel, and violation of the open container law.
Ray said that Grimes was stopped by a deputy for failing to maintain his lane of travel.
Grimes allegedly had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and was unsteady on his feet.
The deputy reportedly found a six-pack of beer in the middle of the seat, including an open container beside Grimes and an open container between Grabowski's legs.
Ray said Grimes told the officer that he had drunk too much to perform field sobriety tasks and refused to submit to a blood test.
Grabowski’s bond was set at $2,500 and he will appear in court on Jan. 17.
Grimes’ bond was set at $2,500 and he will appear in court on Jan. 17.
Brady Gordon Cunningham, 35, of Woodbury was charged with a fourth offense of driving under the influence and simple possession of a Schedule IV drug on Jan. 6.
Ray said that a deputy was called to the Dollar General Store in Alexandria to check out reports of an intoxicated person in a white pickup truck.
Upon arrival, the deputy reportedly found Cunningham passed out behind the wheel with the keys in the ignition.
Ray said Cunningham had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person, and submitted to, but performed poorly on, field sobriety tasks.
He was allegedly found to have three white pills, thought to be Xanax, in a blue container.
His prior DUI offenses were on July 1, 2011 in Sumner County; April 1, 2011 in Cannon County; and January 21, 2012 in DeKalb County.
His bond was set at $5,000 and he will appear in court on Jan. 17.