A routine traffic stop on Monday afternoon lead to the arrest of a 21-year-old father, whom police allege gave his toddler a bag of crack cocaine. Police pulled a vehicle over in the 1000 block of Anderson Street around 3 p.m. in front of Plaza Road School. The car was pulled over because the window tinting on the vehicle was too dark. Corey Pearson (R) is accused of abusing his 2 year old son-- not by any kind of physical violence, but for what he allegedly gave him for safe keeping.6News Interviewed the police officer who made the stop. “I stuck my head in the car and there was a 2-year-old baby in the backseat, not in a child seat, just sitting back there,” said Officer J.C. Wheaton, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. “I looked back and he was holding a bag…of crack cocaine in his hand.”
Wheaton made the traffic stop and said Pearson had a warrant for his arrest on a prior speeding ticket. Wheaton said he quickly removed the crack cocaine from the 2-year-old and then had a talk with his mother. “She kept screaming, ‘They’re going to take my baby. They’re going to take my baby,’” Wheaton said. The childs Mom was not arrested because Pearson allegedly admitted that the drugs belonged to him. The officer believes that using the toddler as a hiding place put the 2-year-old in jeopardy. “If he was to swallow that, from my experience and from what knowledge I have, is if he were to swallow that he’d probably have a heart attack and die.”
Pearson is facing numerous drug charges. He also has been charged with child abuse. The mother has not been charged at this time, but that could change. She still has custody of the child but DSS has been called in and they are investigating. Source: 6NEWS