Police: Hallucinating parents jailed for child neglect

Charles Hill and Katie White face aggravated child neglect charges.
Charles Hill and Katie White face aggravated child neglect charges.

Two Chattanooga parents face aggravated child neglect charges after police say they were too high on methamphetamine to care for their 4-year-old son.

Katie White, 25, and husband Charles Hill, 32, called police from their home in Brainerd and said they were hallucinating on Tuesday, according to court records.

When officers arrived at the home on Hargraves Avenue around 9 a.m., both Hill and White were irrational and unable to "properly formulate sentences," according to an affidavit.

White told police that people were walking in and out of her TV, which is why she might seem "a little off," according to an affidavit. She also claimed she'd just returned from Hawaii. She said Hill held a butcher knife to her throat but then immediately recanted the story.

Hill admitted that the pair had been using methamphetamine throughout the night, police said. A drug recognition expert determined the two were still under the influence of a stimulant during the police investigation, according to court records.

Hill and White are the sole caretakers for their 4-year-old son, who was home at the time, according to police. Both parents were arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse or neglect.

Hill was also charged with possession of a controlled substance after officers found what appeared to be a bag of methamphetamine inside his jacket pocket. He was booked into the Hamilton County Jail on a $150,000 bond, while White was booked with a $100,000 bond.

Both parents remained in custody on Thursday.

Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas. Follow @ShellyBradbury.

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