A couple who fled to Michigan with their 8 month old child last month prompting an Endangered Child Alert by the TBI has been returned to DeKalb County.
29 year old Andrew Billings and 19 year old Adriana Billings arrived at the DeKalb County Jail Tuesday morning, December 13 at 6:30 a.m. They were brought by a transport service.
The Billings’ are each charged with aggravated child abuse and initiation of a process to manufacture methamphetamine. Bond for each is $17,000 and they will appear in DeKalb County General Sessions Court on January 5. Adriana has posted bond and has been released. Andrew remains incarcerated.
An Endangered Child Alert was issued for 8 month old Xavier Billings on Thursday, November 17 after his parents took him and fled the scene of a wreck investigation a week earlier in which a meth lab was found in their vehicle.
“On Thursday November, 10th, the Tennessee Highway Patrol worked a two vehicle accident on Highway 70 east (Sparta Highway). After 3 occupants in one of the vehicles, including the child, had been examined by EMS, the adults fled the scene with the child. During the inventory of the vehicle, the Trooper found what he believed to be a methamphetamine lab. The Trooper took criminal warrants in the case on both of the adults for manufacturing meth and aggravated child abuse,” said Sheriff Patrick Ray.
After the accident, the Trooper obtained information that the child might have had a medical condition and notified the Department of Children Services.
Sheriff Ray said that at 11:19 p.m. Wednesday night, November 16, the Department of Children Services came to his office and filed a missing/endangered child report. The Sheriff said his department immediately entered the child into the National Crime Information System which prompted the TBI Endangered Child Alert System.
The Billings’ were found with the child at a residence in Flint, Michigan on Friday, November 18. They were arrested by the City of Flint Police Department and Xavier was placed in protective custody by the Michigan Department of Children Services.
The warrants against the Billings’ allege that on November 10, Trooper Sean Tramel of the Tennessee Highway Patrol was working an accident on Sparta Highway and found that Andrew and Adriana Billings knowingly initiated the process of manufacturing methamphetamine inside of their white Nissan Sentra which was involved in the accident while their 8 month old son was present in the vehicle.
While doing a post crash inventory of the car, Trooper Tramel discovered a meth lab in a black nylon bag and in a 40 millimeter ammo can in the back seat. Items discovered were a Visine bottle containing muriatic acid, spa test strips, an open container of Drano, four bottles including three with residue and one with sediment, a quart Mason jar with a clear liquid believed to be Coleman fuel and methamphetamine mix which field tested positive for meth.
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