Pot Arrest Leads To Child Cruelty Charges

A Lake Placid man was free on $3,000 bail Friday after deputies say he was arrested when they found him asleep with his wife and two young children in the same room and a silver tray with some marijuana within the children's reach.

Kevin Dale Coatney, 29, of 24 Melrose Lane, was booked on two counts of child cruelty - abuse without great harm (a third-degree felony), possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia (both first-degree misdemeanors).

Child abuse is any action that can endanger a child, either physical or emotional, said Sheriff's Capt. Randy LaBelle. Leaving marijuana or any other drug where children could get to it and potentially harm themselves is considered abuse.

"Everyone thinks child abuse is beating a child with a belt or something like that, but the statute is much more comprehensive than that," LaBelle said.

At 11:28 p.m., Monday, July 28, as Coatney and his family slept, sheriff's deputies went to 24 Melrose Lane searching for a fugitive for whom that was the unnamed fugitive's last known address.

A 46-year-old woman answered the door and told the deputies that the unnamed fugitive was not there. She told deputies she owned the home and gave deputies permission to search, the report stated.

Once inside the home, the deputies noted there was a strong smell of burnt marijuana.

They met with the woman's husband, who also gave permission to search, the report stated.

She told deputies she has a daughter and said she would take them to a bedroom so she could be identified. She opened the bedroom door for the deputies.

Deputies saw two adults, Coatney and his wife in the bed, the report stated. There were also two children. They saw a silver tray with what appeared to be marijuana on it on a small dresser, about two feet off the floor.

More marijuana was inside a white dresser, the report stated. The marijuana recovered totaled 15 grams, the report stated. A rolling machine and rolling papers were also recovered.