OROVILLE – Two Oroville area residents were arrested Monday, Sept. 17 on drug charges a week after one of them brought her two year-old son to North Valley Hospital suffering with burns to the mouth and skin.
Members of the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force and the North Central Washington Special Response Team executed a search warrant at 8 a.m. on a residence located on Airport Road just outside ofOroville. Arrested at the residence were John W. “Jack” McAlpine, 51, Oroville and Ashley J. Farrar, 21, Oroville. Both were arrested at the residence without incident and transported to the Okanogan County Jail and booked on possession of methamphetamine, according to Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers.”The investigation came about on Sept. 10 when apparently Farrar had taken her two year-old son into North Valley Hospital in Tonasket after he had ingested some type of chemical that had caused burning to his skin, in and around his mouth and internally,” said Rogers.
The two year-old was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane where he was placed into the pediatric ICU and is still currently at Sacred Heart. During the initial contact with Farrar it appears she stated that the incident occurred at the residence on Airport Road, but she was very unclear of what the substance exactly was but had brought in some of the chemical with her. “A toxicology screen was done which showed the chemical he had drunk was a double alkali, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, which is commonly used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine. The tox screen also showed positive signs of methamphetamine in the two year-old,” said Sheriff Rogers. Rogers went on to say that during the search of the residence methamphetamine was found, but there was nothing to indicate a meth lab was currently at the location. Items located at the residence were sent to the Washington State Crime Lab for analysis, he added. Farrar and McAlpine were the only ones present at the residence at the time the warrant was served. Farrar has a previous conviction of delivery of methamphetamine, possession with intent to manufacture methamphetamine and possession with intent to manufacture marijuana, said Rogers. She was sentenced to prison in October 2005 and paroled a year later and is currently serving parole with the state Department of Corrections, according to the sheriff.
Probable cause to charge Farrar with possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, endangerment with a controlled substance and possession of marijuana was found in Okanogan County Superior Court last Monday and the judge set bail at $30,000. There was also probable cause to charge McAlpine with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia and bail was set at $10,000.
Child Protective Services is involved in the case at this time, said Rogers, who adds that the investigation is continuing and detectives are waiting for additional reports from the state crime lab.
“I know the detectives are waiting for additional tox results from the lab and I know they are talking to the medical personnel that were involved. I heard the little guy is doing better and is now in satisfactory condition which is good to hear… just hope there are no long term effects,” Rogers said last Saturday morning, when asked about the case and condition of the two year-old.
