ARRESTED: Parents suggest leaving child as collateral during drug deal



RACINE (WITI) -- Racine County Sheriff's deputies arrested two people on June 17th following a controlled purchase of heroin. This was the third controlled purchase  of heroin from the couple, and the second in which children were present.

Along Shorewood Drive, in the town of Salem, neighbors say everyone here has a trade.

"I'm a metal fabricator. I've got other people who are construction guys, plumbers, electricians. Whatever we've got going, we get together and get it done at our homes," said Eric Lundenburg, neighbor.

But authorities say, in the small red house across from Lundenburg, a couple conducted a different kind of business. 32-year-old Blair Larose and 26-year-old Ashley Fay were arrested Tuesday, June 17th on charges of delivering heroin and reckless endangerment.

According to officials, deputies initiated a traffic stop around 1:20 p.m. on a vehicle that was southbound on highway 83, just south of Burlington Bypass, in the City of Burlington.

The vehicle was stopped after agents with the Racine County Metro Drug Unit performed a controlled purchase of heroin from the suspects. Also in the vehicle, were the couple's two children, ages one and three.

This was the third controlled purchase of heroin from the couple, and the second in which the children were present during the drug deal. During the controlled purchase, the suspects had suggested leaving one of their children as collateral to ensure their return with additional heroin.

"Personally, I've worked undercover narcotics, I've done a number of investigations myself and I've never heard, even jokingly, someone saying they are willing to leave their child behind as collateral in exchange for narcotics," said Christopher Schmaling, Racine County Sheriff.

The Racine agents joined members of the Kenosha Drug Task Force and served a search warrant at the suspects' residence. At the residence, agents seized items of drug paraphernalia and found the residence to be in deplorable condition.

"I was told by the investigators that were there it was just an unbelievable sight. They couldn't believe that two children and their parents live there," said Schmaling.

Schmaling says Kenosha Human Services responded to the scene and took the two children into protective custody. They are looking to find relatives for the two girls to stay with.

Now, the home is vacant. The yard filled with reminders of the family and the kids that once lived there.

"It's one thing to do that to yourself but you don't do it around your kids," said Lundenburg.

In addition to selling heroin, Schmaling says the couple told investigators they were using it daily. In fact, they only sold it in order to fund their own addictions.