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Man charged after children found in car with unconscious adults, heroin

Two young children, ages 3 and 6 months, were found in a vehicle with two unconscious adults, a male and a female, at a Morgantown gas station on Saturday.

Monongalia County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the Go Mart located at 55 Postal Plaza off of Grafton Road at about 3:33 p.m. May 7, for a call of two unconscious individuals in a vehicle parked at a gas pump with two children in the backseat.

According to a criminal complaint, Monongalia County EMS and Deputy N. Thompson were first to arrive on scene.  Upon their arrival the individuals were still unconscious in the vehicle.

The complaint said Monongalia County EMS observed the male subject attempt to hide a glass smoking device common to the use of an illegal substance.

The male was identified as Brandon Lee Osborne, 31, of Porters Falls, the complaint said.

Osborne was detained by deputies and a pat-down was conducted for weapons due to the presence of multiple knives in the vehicle.

During the pat-down, the complaint said deputies felt a small container in Osborne’s front-right pants pocket.

The complaint said Osborne told officers there was heroin in it.

The female passenger, identified as Aryean Barker, admitted to the use of heroin prior to this incident.

The children in the rear of the vehicle were identified.  At ages 3 and 6 months, both children were unable to care for themselves, and the vehicle Osborne was driving the children in “did not have valid registration, or insurance, or [inspection],” the complaint said.

The complaint said the car was also “covered in filth such as dirt, trash, cigarette ashes, smoked/used cigarettes, various sharp tools, and other dangerous items that could have potentially created risk to the children as the parents/guardians were unconscious due to the believed drug use prior to this incident.”

Osborne was charged with child neglect creating risk of injury, a felony, as well as misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.  He is currently being held on $8,000 bond at North Central Regional Jail.

No charges against Barker have been made as of yet, according to Chief Deputy Mark Ralston.

Child Protective Services was contacted for the children, Ralston said.

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