ROGERSVILLE — Four women have been named in Hawkins County grand jury sealed indictments accused of illegal use of narcotics while pregnant and giving birth to babies with drugs in their system.
Two women were named in sealed indictments Oct. 1 on a single count of felony reckless endangerment: Rebekah Leigh Ethridge, 20, 21 Forest Hill Road, Rogersville; and Ashley Nicole Hardesty, 27, 104 Persia Estates Drive, Rogersville.
The other two women were named in sealed indictments Aug. 27 on one count of felony reckless endangerment: Sarah Ellen Ceron-Garcia, 26, 1134 Ridge Crest Ave., Kingsport; and Amanda Lee Napier-Johnson, 32, 502 Susan Court, Church Hill.
The felony reckless endangerment charge is a result of narcotics being found in the system of the women’s newborn babies.
Teddy Collingsworth, who is an investigator with the 3rd Judicial District Attorney General’s Office, presented the charges to the grand jury.
Ethridge is accused to giving birth to a son on May 22 who had hydromorphone in his system. She was arrested Oct. 12, released on $10,000 bond, and is scheduled for arraignment in Hawkins County Criminal Court on Dec. 13.
Ceron-Garcia is accused of giving birth to a son May 3 who had alprazolam, cocaine and benzoylecgonine in his system. She was arrested Oct. 12, released on $10,000 bond, and will be arraigned Dec. 13.
Napier-Johnson is accused of giving birth to a son on Sept. 21, 2011, who had oxycodone and oxymorphone in his system. She was arrested Oct. 10, released on $10,000 bond and will be arraigned Dec. 13.
Hardesty is accused of giving birth to a son May 1 who had cocaine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, amphetamine, methamphetamine and morphine in his system. Hardesty was arrested on other charges Aug. 28 and served with this sealed indictment warrant in jail last week. She remains held in the Hawkins County jail while serving an unrelated sentence and will be arraigned Dec. 13.