WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NCMystery meth house baby's mom found and is pregnant, deputies say

Mystery meth house baby's mom found and is pregnant, deputies say

BURKE COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - A little girl, nicknamed "mystery baby" after she was found in a meth house bust, has been returned to her pregnant mother, investigators say.

The 14-month-old baby was found on Friday when investigators busted a meth house in Burke County. Deputies told WBTV they found $20,000 worth of "high quality" meth, which is  about half a pound, at the home off of Deer Track Street in Southern Burke County.

But, investigators weren't counting on stumbling on a baby they found in the same home.

Deputies say they are now trying to figure out the identity of a baby that was dropped off at the house by "the child's mother" about a week ago.  None of the adults in the home knew the baby's name and none of them claimed the baby, deputies said.

Investigators say the people found inside the home did not give them much information, saying they only knew the baby's first name, but not her last name.  They told deputies they only knew the mother's first name as well.

Ernest Lathren, who was charged Friday with possession with intent to sell and Chastity Womble, who was arrested on the same charges Monday, said they told investigators who the child was.

"I gave them a phone number," said Womble.

"We knew who she was, "said Lathren.

Sgt. Rick Hasson, of the Narcotics Task Force disagreed with that assessment. "They didn't know the child's last name and didn't know the mother's last name, just that they had a phone number, they thought."

Investigators took all the numbers received and dialed from the phone.

Deputies handed the baby girl and the phone numbers to the Department of Social Services.

DSS officials say they tracked the baby's mother, who is again pregnant, down to South Carolina and turned the baby over to the mother after an investigation.

There were also two middle-school age children in the house, but it's unclear if they are related to the baby.

Deputies also seized $3,300 in cash and took a truck. They also found firearms inside the home. 

Burke County Narcotics task force is investigating the issue.

During a court hearing on Monday, Lathren and Womble said they cooperated with the deputies in their investigation. They told WBTV's Steve Ohnesorge that the children were nowhere near any meth.

Copyright 2012 WBTV. All rights reserved.