A 33-year-old Florida woman is behind bars after deputies allegedly found her passed out in a car with three small children and a stash of methamphetamine outside a Palatka church.
Amanda Burkes faces a long list of charges following her arrest late Sunday night. According to court records, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has charged her with three counts of child neglect, trafficking in amphetamines, and possession of drugs within 1,000 feet of a place of worship, among other offenses.
The situation unfolded on Bardin Road when a deputy noticed a black Chevrolet sedan partially blocking the Midway Baptist Church parking lot.
After finishing another call 30 minutes later, the deputy returned to find the car hadn’t moved. When he walked up to the window, he reported seeing Burkes slumped over in the driver’s seat with drool on her face.
READ: The Balcony Bait: Florida Instagram Date Ends In High-Rise Robbery Trap
In the back of the car, three children—aged 7 months to 4 years—were asleep. Investigators noted that blankets had been hung up to wall off the front seats from the back, which blocked the driver’s view of the kids.
While Burkes reportedly admitted to having some marijuana, she told deputies there wasn’t anything else in the car. However, a search of the front passenger area turned up a magnetic box. Inside, police say they found a glass pipe and bags of a white crystal substance.
Field tests identified the powder as methamphetamine, weighing in at approximately 28.2 grams.
During questioning, Burkes told investigators she had grabbed food at McDonald’s and was headed to her brother’s house, though she wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep.
As for the meth, she claimed a neighbor she only knew as “Eddie” might have hidden the box in her car earlier that day without her knowing.
The Department of Children and Families was called to the scene, and the three children were eventually handed over to their grandmother. Burkes was taken to the Putnam County Jail, where a judge later set her bond at $73,500.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
