Late Sunday night, Roane County deputies received a call from a juvenile female from Kingston, who was calling from the home of an adult friend. The girl alleged her mother, 41-year-old Jessica Hall, and the mother’s boyfriend, 47-year-old Stephen Ray Ausburn, were doing drugs in a home on the 100 block of Ferguson Lane and she reportedly asked for help in escaping the situation because she felt unsafe.

At the sheriff’s office, the girl showed deputies photos on her phone of drug paraphernalia she said was in the home. She reportedly said her mother told her the needles were for insulin-dependent family friends.

DCS was contacted. The DCS representative met with the girl, then went with deputies to the subject home to meet with Hall.

Hall gave consent for deputies and the DCS rep to enter, then gave consent to search the home. The search reportedly turned up a large amount of drug paraphernalia, including five aluminum cans with residue that had been modified for drug use, a spoon with residue and at least 30 hypodermic needles, some filled with an unknown substance.

Officers also discovered 14 prescription-pill bottles containing what looked to be cotton, along with an unknown liquid. The cotton was believed to be used as a filter during intravenous drug use. Also found were drugs, including Oxymorphone, that, while lawfully prescribed, showed evidence of not having being taken as prescribed; and pill counts were off on many of the scheduled medications.

Ausburn, who had an outstanding warrant, was discovered hiding in a walk-in shower.

Deputies also found 36-year-old David Aaron Lowe hiding in a bedroom closet. Lowe, who had an outstanding warrant, was also placed under arrest.

The girl was put under an Immediate Protection Order and initially placed with the adult friend. Hall was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.