Drug Arrests Made Following Welfare Check on Juvenile at a Livingston Motel

LIVINGSTON, TX-

Polk County Sheriff's Office received a tip regarding the welfare of a child staying in a hotel with her mother and her mother's boyfriend at the Livingston Inn. The tipster said that illegal narcotics were being used and possibly sold in the motel room.

On Friday, June 27th, a night shift supervisor and a deputy responded to the location. Once they arrived, the occupants were identified as the child in question , the child's mother, Jessica Seagroves Lester, the mother's boyfriend, Robert Shannon Pierce, and three additional adults all present inside a single motel room.

According to the report, Jessica Lester was informed that the the welfare check was regarding the safety of her child. She then denied consent to search the room. As the investigation continued, other occupants admitted that marijuana and methamphetamine were currently present in the room.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division was called to the scene. A search warrant was obtained, issued by Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4, Jamie Richardson. Upon searching the room, methamphetamine, pipes used to smoke methamphetamine, marijuana, and other paraphernalia were located in the room.

A man who was visiting the couple, identified as Camron Edward Johnson, claimed ownership of the methamphetamine and smoking pipes which were discovered under trash.

According to the press release, interviews conducted on scene revealed that Jessica Lester had knowingly allowed her teenage daughter to smoke marijuana. This, combined with the discovery of methamphetamine and the presence of narcotics activity in the same room as the child, both Jessica Lester and Robert Shannon Pierce were arrested and charged with Abandoning or Endangering a Child-Criminal Negligence. Jessica Lester was also issued a citation for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Camron Edward Johnson was also arrested and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance PG1 >1G<4G as well as Abandoning or Endangering a Child-Criminal Negligence.

We will update our readers as more information becomes available.