Warren Scott Ross
Submitted photo
JENNINGS COUNTY — A Jennings County man was arrested Thursday as part of an investigation into an unresponsive female left alone earlier in the week at a park on Seymour’s southside, police report.
Warren Scott Ross, 31, of Commiskey was booked into the Jackson County Jail in Brownstown at 4:55 p.m. on preliminary charges of neglect of a dependent and criminal recklessness.
The incident that led to Ross’ arrest began Monday evening when Seymour officer Gabe Jordan was on a routine patrol and found an unconscious female in the grass at Freeman Field Recreation Area, according to a news release from Lt. C.J. Foster. Several pieces of luggage also were found in the area.
Jordan reported the woman exhibited symptoms of a drug overdose, so he called for support from Jackson County Emergency Medical Services. He also administered two doses of Narcan and used a bag valve mask to assist the female with breathing.
Additional doses of Narcan were administered to the female by emergency medical personnel and she was then taken to Schneck Medical Center for additional treatment, Foster said.
She was released from the Seymour hospital after regaining consciousness and recovering from the opioid overdose, police said.
The female also told police she didn’t remember how she got to Freeman Field and had been traveling house to house with strangers due to her struggles with addiction, Foster said.
Police asked the public for assistance in identifying a white male in a black cutoff shirt that was driving a red hatchback passenger car in the area where the woman was found, Foster said. That description came from video surveillance equipment.
On Thursday, Seymour police located the suspect vehicle on County Road 650W in Jennings County after following multiple leads, Foster said.
Police then obtained a Jackson Superior Court I search warrant for the vehicle and another search warrant from the same court for a residence on County Road 650W in Jennings County to search for evidence related to Monday’s incident.
Jennings County police, who assisted with the investigation, were able to find more than 20 grams of fentanyl, prescription medication, an undisclosed amount of money and drug paraphernalia during the search of the residence.
Ross also was taken into custody and interviewed by Seymour police.
Foster said Ross told investigators that the woman wanted to go to the Freeman Field Recreation Area and once there, she became unresponsive.
In response, Ross said he panicked, removed the woman from the vehicle and drove off, Foster said.
A second man, Darrell Little, 21, of Commiskey also was found at the residence and arrested by Jennings County officers on a charge of possession of fentanyl. Little also was wanted on an active warrant outside of Jennings County, Foster said.
Charges will be filed in Jennings County for the evidence collected at the Commiskey residence, he said.
In Indiana, a Level 3 felony carries a potential prison sentence of three to 16 years with an advisory sentence of nine years.
