A Newport News woman pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing heroin in a vehicle containing two children at a York County Walgreens.
Melissa Elliott, 31, also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor. That charge was reduced from a felony child neglect charge. A second child neglect charge against her was dropped. She was arrested along with two other people July 5 after a York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office deputy saw a vehicle with stolen tags in the parking lot of a Walgreens on George Washington Memorial Highway (Route 17).
York-Poquoson Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jeremy Markle said Thursday that heroin was in plain view along with needles and other drug paraphernalia. He said Elliott told the deputy she had used heroin prior to driving to Walgreens and that they were planning on making more after leaving the store. The children in the car were 3 and 7 years old.
The childrens’ mother, 31-year-old Murriel I. Holt of Newport News, pleaded guilty to possession of a schedule I drug and contributing to the delinquency of a minor at a November trial in York-Poquoson Circuit Court. She was inside the Walgreens when the deputy approached the vehicle containing Elliott and the children. James E. Viens, a 25-year-old Newport News man who was in the car, also pleaded guilty to the same charges in November.
Holt was sentenced to four years in prison, with three years and nine months suspended. Viens was sentenced to six years in prison with five years and seven months suspended.
Elliot will be sentenced April 24.
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