Weed bust leads to child endangerment

GONZALES— Three people were arrested last week after the smell of marijuana led police right to their front door, officials say.

At 3:09 p.m. April 10, Officer Ryan Salles was dispatched to the 1300 block of Cavett St. (Indian Ridge Apartments) in reference to a complaint call, Capt. Allen Taylor reported. Upon arrival Salles spoke with the complex’s administrative assistant, who informed him she had received a phone call saying people were doing drugs in one of the apartments. When she initially approached the apartment, she could smell marijuana, Taylor said.

When Salles arrived at the apartment, he also could smell the drug. Upon entering the home Salles identified two men — William Leal of Gonzales and Jim Nance of Leesville. Leal informed the officer it was his girlfriend’s apartment and that he was visiting. He also said his girlfriend was picking up her child from school.

When the woman returned home, officers asked her for permission to search the apartment, which she denied. Officers then obtained a search warrant, which was obtained by Capt. Gayle Autry, and conducted a search that led to the discovery of several pieces of a brown, leafy substance in an ashtray.

“Which is common when individuals smoke marijuana,” Taylor said. “They remove the tobacco from the cigar or cigarette and replace it with marijuana.”

Next to the ashtray officers noticed a silver metal skull, which they believed to be a marijuana grinder, as well as a clear plastic bag containing a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana. In the bottom of the grinder, officers found additional green leafy substance believed to be marijuana.

Officers then notified Child Protective Services of the situation, and obtained arrest warrants  that were signed by County Judge David Bird. They were issued for Leal, Nance and Corina Denise Moreno, charging them with possession of marijuana. Additional warrants were obtained for Leal and Nance for endangering a child. All three were later booked into Gonzales County Jail and have been released on bail.