Melvin Toms
SHELBY, N.C. – A Shelby man was arrested after cocaine was found in his home and a 4-year-old was found with cocaine in his body, according to county authorities.
Melvin Douglas Toms, 49, was arrested Friday and jailed with no bond, said Capt. Joel Shores of the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office.
The charges include felonious child abuse, trafficking of cocaine, sell or delivery of a controlled substance to a minor, manufacture of cocaine, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver cocaine and maintaining a dwelling place for a controlled substance.
Toms was previously on probation and a parole officer asked for assistance from the sheriff’s office to help in a search of his home, Shores said. The sheriff’s office found cocaine and a child in the home, he said.
“There was cocaine in the 4-year-old’s system,” Shores said. “We have suspicions that the child was present during the cooking process of the cocaine to crack cocaine and the child inhaled or ingested cocaine.”
The child is not currently in the hospital, Shores said.
