Police: Child found in back seat of car in Lehi with adults passed out on drugs

LEHI, Utah, June 4, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A man and woman were arrested Monday in Lehi after being found allegedly passed out in a car with a child in the back seat.

Allan C.W. Terry, of Orem, and Ciara Dawn Curtis, of South Santaquin, both 31, are facing charges of:

• Endangerment of a child, a third-degree felony
• Possession of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor
• Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor

Terry is facing an additional charge of transaction of a dangerous weapon by a class II restricted person, a class A misdemeanor.

Terry and Curtis’ probable cause statements said officers responded to a welfare check at the Maverik gas station at 1075 S. 1100 West in Lehi.

“The call was regarding a gray hatchback parked in front of the dumpster area in the gas station parking lot with two adults in the front seat and a child in the backseat,” the arresting officer wrote. “The adults were unresponsive despite the car alarm going off; based on my training and experience the cause of the unresponsiveness may have been illicit drug use.”

The statement said the arresting officer attempted to make contact with the driver, who was still unresponsive. After the officer knocked on the window loudly and announced his presence, the driver eventually responded and identified himself as Allan Terry.

Terry was read his Miranda rights and subsequently admitted to using methamphetamine the night before with the passenger, who was identified as Ciara Curtis. Terry also admitted that there were two large hunting knives in the driver’s side door.

The arresting officer was assisted at the scene by a K-9 officer. The K-9 alerted to drugs being in the vehicle and the vehicle was subsequently searched.

Officers found a small bag with a clear crystalline substance in it inside the vehicle, the statement said.

“The passenger also claimed that there was foil in the passenger side door with which Terry had smoked the meth the night before,” the statement said. “This was all done with Terry’s son sitting in the back seat.”

Officers searched for Terry’s criminal history and it was discovered that he is a restricted person.

The two suspects were transported to the Utah County Jail. Terry’s bail was set at $9,580, while Curtis’ was set at $7,630.