Mug shots of Ashely Harmon and Jonathan Flint. (Fayette County Sheriff's Office)
A West Virginia couple was arrested after they tried to sell the woman’s 3-month-old baby reportedly to buy drugs, authorities say.
Jonathan Flint, 20, and Ashley Harmon, 25, of Layland, West Virginia, attempted to sell the infant for $1,000 and then $500, WSAZ-TV reported.
Investigators believe Harmon and her fiancé were going to use the money to buy drugs, the station reported.
Fayette County Sheriff Steve Kessler was quoted in a press release as saying the case was shocking.
“Law enforcement officers frequently deal with some pretty strange situations,” he said. “A situation like this is really out of the ordinary, though.”
Flint and Harmon, who were arrested Friday, are accused of offering to sell the baby to neighbor Carolyn Redden after going to her home May 28. Redden knew Flint but not Harmon.
Redden told WSAZ she didn’t want the baby, who appeared sick. She said they then left the baby with her to go to the store and never came back.
She said she eventually called 911 because the baby would not stop crying and was shaking. She said an EMS worker who showed up told her the infant may be suffering from drug withdrawal.
Child welfare workers took custody of the baby.
Flint and Harmon are facing charges of selling or attempting to sell a child and child neglect.
They were behind bars after their bail was set at $100,000.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
