On May 26th, Chattooga County deputies pulled over a gold Saturn that had swerved into the opposite lane. After the vehicle was pulled over at the Trion Walmart on Highway 27, the driver and his passenger were identified as Gary Owens and Heather Hartline. A small child in a car seat was also with them, sleeping in the back seat. Mr. Owens had been recently released from jail and on probation.

After officers searched the vehicle, they found a clear plastic bag containing a round green pill believed to be Clonazepam, a drug that is used as a muscle relaxer or sedative and can give the user hypnotic episodes. Both Mr. Owens and Ms. Hartline admitted to not having a prescription for the medicine. Officers also found a clear glass pipe in a pouch in the small child's diaper bag. The pipe was suspected to have Methamphetamine residue.

Both Mr. Owens and Ms. Hartline stated that they did not know either the pipe or the pills were in the vehicle. Both were placed under arrest and taken to the Chattooga County Jail. The vehicle and child were both picked up by Mr. Owens' sister.