A three-year-old child was found inside a Deer Park home last month after deputies and detectives responded to a report of multiple overdoses on Peach Tree Lane, and now two adults who live at the residence face criminal charges connected to the child's welfare. Thomas Lee Uphold Sr., 47, and Tonya Sue Uphold, 43, have each been charged with child neglect following the investigation.
According to WV News, deputies and detectives responded to the Peach Tree Lane address on July 19 after a report of multiple overdoses at the home. The responding units included members of the Garrett County Sheriff's Criminal Investigation Division and Narcotics Task Force, and Garrett County Sheriff Bryson Meyers reported that a criminal summons was issued following the investigation. Multiple individuals were transported to Garrett Regional Medical Center for medical treatment, a 55-bed acute care hospital in Oakland that serves as the county's primary emergency facility and is affiliated with the WVU Health System, according to WVU Medicine.
Deputies discovered the three-year-old child inside the residence during the response, the outlet's report notes. A District Court commissioner ultimately issued a criminal summons for both Thomas Lee Uphold Sr. and Tonya Sue Uphold rather than an arrest warrant. Under Maryland District Court procedure, commissioners review charging documents to determine probable cause and decide whether a case warrants an arrest warrant or a summons ordering a defendant to appear in court, per the Maryland Judiciary — a distinction that typically applies when the accused is not considered an immediate flight or public safety risk.
What Maryland Law Requires To Prove Neglect
Under Maryland Code, Criminal Law § 3-602.1, child neglect is classified as a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both upon conviction, according to the statute cited by Maryland General Assembly records. The law defines neglect as a caregiver's intentional failure to provide necessary physical or mental health resources for a minor, creating a substantial risk of harm — but the statute explicitly states that failure due solely to homelessness or lack of financial resources does not meet the criminal standard. That distinction places the burden on prosecutors to show intent rather than mere hardship.
The case remains open, and it is not publicly known what specific substances were involved in the overdoses at the Peach Tree Lane home, whether the Garrett County State's Attorney's Office may pursue additional drug-related charges, or the current custody status and health condition of the child. It is also unclear whether Child Protective Services opened a parallel civil investigation alongside the criminal case.
A Rural County Amid a Regional Overdose Spike
The Peach Tree Lane incident occurred in Deer Park, an incorporated Garrett County municipality with a population of roughly 303 residents as of the 2020 U.S. Census, according to Wikipedia — a scale where an overdose call involving multiple people places real strain on local emergency response. It also landed amid a documented rise in local drug activity: the Garrett County Health Department issued a public overdose alert in August 2026 after a sudden surge in localized opioid overdoses tied to illicit synthetic drugs like fentanyl, as reported by Deep Creek Times.
That local spike stands in contrast to broader trends. Statewide data released by the Maryland Department of Health in January 2026 showed that annual fatal drug overdoses across Maryland declined for a fourth consecutive year, reaching a 10-year statewide low, according to the Maryland Department of Health. Garrett County and several of its municipalities, including Oakland, Grantsville, and Mountain Lake Park, are among 58 Maryland subdivisions receiving direct payments from national opioid litigation settlements running through fiscal year 2038, funds that are required to go toward public health and overdose response programs, per St. Mary's County Government records.
Investigation Led by County Task Force
The Garrett County Narcotics Task Force that took part in the Peach Tree Lane response operates as a cooperative regional enforcement unit combining personnel from the Garrett County Sheriff's Office, the Maryland State Police, and the Garrett County State's Attorney's Office, according to WCBC. Sheriff Bryson Meyers oversees that task force along with the Criminal Investigation Division, and the sheriff's office maintains an anonymous tip line and mobile app for residents to report suspected drug activity, according to the Garrett County Sheriff's Office. No additional charges beyond child neglect have been reported against Thomas Lee Uphold Sr. or Tonya Sue Uphold as of this report.
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