A local woman was arrested Thursday morning on a felony charge of communicating a false alarm after allegedly calling 911 to report a home invasion that didn't happen and then reportedly admitting she was using meth.
Amber Leigh Childs, 46, of 101 Kaywood Place, was taken into custody at her residence shortly after 8 a.m. and in addition to the felony count, punishable by up to six years in prison, she was charged with misdemeanor counts of public intoxication and disorderly conduct.
Childs was being held in lieu of $3,500 bond and was set to appear Friday in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, around 7:45 a.m. Thursday, Hot Springs police Officer Tyler Ward and other officers responded to the Kaywood Place address regarding a burglary in progress where the homeowner would be outside after witnessing two Hispanic men breaking into her house.
"Due to the nature of the call, multiple police units using emergency equipment (lights and siren) responded," the affidavit states. Upon arrival, Ward spotted the homeowner, identified as Childs, standing in the front yard and had her take cover behind his patrol car.
Ward noted Childs was "acting erratic and hallucinating," and she pointed to some bushes and said, "There is someone in there," but officers couldn't find anyone there. She also claimed the men had killed her cat and it was in the front yard, but officers could not find anything.
When asked if she was under the influence of anything, Childs allegedly stated, "I snorted some meth 24 hours ago."
Meanwhile, other officers had checked and cleared the residence. They found Childs' brother-in-law inside the residence and he confirmed no burglary had occurred and "everything was OK."
Ward noted multiple neighbors living close by had come outside due to the incident. After it was determined no burglary had occurred, Childs was taken into custody. At the detention center, after being read her rights, she was questioned and reportedly stated a white male and a Hispanic male were in her home.
When asked when she last used meth and in what manner, Childs again allegedly stated, "I used meth 24 hours ago and I snorted it."
A computer check showed Childs was previously arrested on April 14, 2019, on a misdemeanor charge of communicating a false alarm, punishable by up to one year in jail, and had pleaded no contest to the charge on Feb. 4.
Local on 02/21/2020