A 34-year-old San Tan Valley woman has been arrested, after allegedly smoking marijuana with her children and other minors, authorities said.
Pinal County Sheirff's deputies arrested Jillian Hughes on May 19, after deputies found marijuana, scales and paraphernalia in her house, said department spokesman, Mark Clark.
Hughes has been charged with five counts of child abuse, five counts of furnishing drugs to minors, possession of marijuana and posession of paraphernalia.
Deputies were called to a San Tan Valley elementary school on May 5, and spoke to a 14-year-old student who was friends with one of Hughes's children. The student told police that she was offered marijuana by Hughes while staying overnight at the house in late March, Clark said.Β
A Department of Child Services spoke to Hughes on the phone, at which time she admitted to smoking marijuana with her children and having it in the house, Clark said.
After hearing phone conversation, deputies and a DCS investigator went to Hughes house, which she allowed to be searched. Hughes told detectives taht her 14-year-old child was home and her 16-year-old child was at school, but she didn't know where her two younger children were. Deputies searching the house found her 11 and 12-year-old children asleep in a hall closet, at which time Hughes told detectives she thought the kids were at school, Clark said.
After deputies seized the marijuana, scales and paraphernalia in the home, DCS took custody of all four children, who admitted to smoking marijuana with their mother, but later changed their stories. All four children tested positive for marijuana, Clark said.
Detectives believe that there could be other victims, and additional charges could be pending.
