A Rock Island daycare owner was arrested Wednesday afternoon in connection with a drug raid at her daycare and home Tuesday night.
Lorrie Myers was arrested and charged with drug possession Wednesday afternoon at the Rock Island County Courthouse according to Q.C. Metropolitan Enforcement Agency Director, Kevin Winslow.
Tuesday night, M.E.G. agents performed a search warrant at Lorrie's Licensed Daycare in the 2400 block of 10th St. in Rock Island, which is also Myers' home. Inside, agents found 30-500 grams of cannabis.
Agents arrested 19-year-old Laron Carr and 20-year-old Royce Harmon who is also Myers' son.
Winslow says it's unclear whether or not any drug transactions took place while children were inside the home under Myers' care.
"We took every step that we could to make sure, or at least minimize childhood exposure to this," said Winslow. "You have associated crimes that come with these activities: robberies, burglaries, shootings; we don't want to expose the children to this type of environment."
Myers' daycare sits across 25th Ave. from Frances Willard Elementary School. Wilson says selling drugs in a school zone brings additional penalties.
Less than an hour before her arrest, Myers spoke with KWQC about the raid and the future of her daycare.
"I had no idea that he was, that any of this was going on in my home. I mean, my son, he's a grown boy and he's going to have friends you know, that's just life but I never suspected that he would be doing such a thing out of my home and I never thought he would, you know, allow this to happen to me," said Myers.
Myers says she was licensed to take care of up to eight children but was only caring for two children before the raid.
The Department of Child and Family Services is now investigating Myers and Lorrie's Licensed Daycare. Myers will not be allowed to operate the daycare home during the course of the investigation.
Myers, Harmon, and Carr were in the Rock Island County Jail Wednesday night.
Lorrie Myers
Royce Harmon
Laron Carr
