Cops: Mom takes infant along to score meth at N. Charleston hotel

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - North Charleston police arrested a 26-year-old woman they say took her baby with her to smoke meth at an area hotel.

Ashley Murdaugh was arrested early Monday morning and faces a charge of unlawful conduct toward a child, police say.

Detectives spotted a car in the parking lot of a Fain Street hotel with two woman inside at approximately 1:30 a.m., according to an incident report. When they approached, the driver exited the vehicle and approached the office and was called back to talk to police.

The passenger of the vehicle, Murdaugh, was with her 8-month-old child, the report states.

Detectives say the stories provided by the two women were not consistent.

The driver of the vehicle told police there was a meth pipe in the vehicle, then said they were there to meet another girl and smoke meth with her, but did not know which room she was in, the report states.

Police found a glass pipe with a bowl at the bottom, which is commonly used to smoke methamphetamine as well as a prescription pill bottle for Xanax, the report states.

Police say because of the drugs, they contacted the Department of Social Services.

The driver of the vehicle told police they had been at her house in Walterboro smoking meth with all the minor children in the home. After running out of drugs, she told police she contacted the third woman, who said she had a "bowl" of meth, and made arrangements to meet up at the hotel.

Murdaugh was being held at the Al Cannon Detention Center on a $100,000 bond, police say.

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