Couple accused of using drugs near children

Deputies said man was seen with needle in arm

MACCLENNY, Fla. – A man and woman were arrested Sunday afternoon after police say they witnessed the man injecting drugs into his arm while they sat in their vehicle with three children age 4 or under.

Baker County deputies were sent to investigate the incident at a Kangaroo gas station at 340 E. Maclenny Avenue, just across the street from the Baker County courthouse and jail.

"It's really a tragedy when you're dealing with the drug issue and then you involve the children," said Lt. Scotty Rhoden with the Baker County Sheriff's Office. "They have no say-so in what's going on. They're just dragged into this environment."

An officer with the Florida Wildlife Commission said he approached a van after filling his vehicle's tank at a gas pump.

Deputies said the man in the vehicle, Richard Nasworthy, 25, had a needle in his arm. They also said the woman sitting next to him, Anjanet Roy, 24, was holding a syringe, a spoon with residue and a straw commonly used for narcotic purposes.

A deputy and the FWC officer searched Nasworthy and Roy. They also found a 30 milligram pain pill in Nasworthy's shirt pocket.

After they were put in a deputy's cruiser, he noticed a child on a ventilator still in the suspect's vehicle. A deputy spoke with Roy, who requested an emergency crew, saying her son may need to be suctioned to breathe properly.

After emergency crews arrived, Nasworthy and Roy said the child needed to be seen by a doctor, saying they may have been exposed to drugs they smoked in the vehicle.

The child along with the other two children in the vehicle were taken to the hospital. The Department of Children and Families has been notified.

Nasworthy and Roy were also taken to the hospital by police to be medically evaluated.

They're facing charges of cruelty toward a child, and possession and use of a controlled substance without a prescription.


About the Authors:

Ashley Harding joined the Channel 4 news team in March 2013. She reports for and anchors The Morning Show.