A search warrant at a Golden Gate home on 17th Place Southwest ended with two adults in handcuffs Thursday, after detectives said they found crack cocaine, cocaine and drug-manufacturing materials scattered through areas of the house that four young children could easily reach — including a kitchen drawer where cocaine sat right next to a child's crayon.
Richardson Lahens, 39, and Cindy Pierre, 40, were arrested following the warrant's execution, according to the Collier County Sheriff's Office. The agency said the two lived at the residence with four young children, and that Pierre was the home's registered owner. Detectives carried out the warrant.
Beyond the cocaine found near the crayon, the sheriff's office said a baby bottle and children's drinking cups were sitting on top of the same drawer. Investigators also recovered cooking utensils used to manufacture crack cocaine and items the agency said were associated with illegal narcotics sales, all within areas of the home — including the kitchen — that were easily accessible to the children.
Charges Filed Against Both Adults
According to the sheriff's office, Lahens and Pierre were each charged with manufacturing drugs within a structure while minors are present, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of narcotic paraphernalia, and child neglect without great bodily harm. The agency said the Florida Department of Children and Families was notified about the incident. These remain allegations at this stage, not findings of guilt.
Under Florida law, child neglect covers a caregiver's willful failure or omission to provide necessary care, supervision or services, and can be based on a single incident that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, serious injury or a substantial risk of death, according to Florida Statutes § 827.03. The same statute classifies neglect without great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement as a third-degree felony — a description of the law itself, not a determination of how it applies in this case.
Alleged Drug Activity in Home With Children
The case involved allegations of drug activity in a home where four young children lived.
No additional details have been released about the children's ages, their relationship to Lahens and Pierre, or what has happened since the Department of Children and Families was notified. The sheriff's office has not said how long the alleged manufacturing or sales activity may have been going on, or how much of the drugs were recovered from the home.
