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Man and woman arrested on suspicion of child abuse

Posted at 10:47 PM, Feb 06, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-07 00:47:07-05

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DRAPER, UTAH — A man and woman were arrested Friday on suspicion of child abuse.

Catherine Lucille Coley faces one count of endangering a child, one count of possession of controlled substance and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Benjamin Doyle faces two counts of endangering a child and one count of use or possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to Draper police, officers received information by phone that Doyle and his mother Coley were abusing illegal drugs in front of minors. The caller and a second witness, police said, were able to provide firsthand evidence.

Police obtained a warrant while Doyle was at work, but Coley was home. The two children, police said, were asleep in makeshift beds on the floor. Police said the home wasn’t in a condition to live in, drugs were near where the children slept and embers from a small fire were falling on the carpeted floor.

The County Health Department was notified of the poor conditions, according to police, and closed the home in response.

Police also searched a trailer where, according to police, Doyle slept. Drug paraphernalia, police said, was on the counter of the trailer, easily reached by children. The trailer was filthy, like the house, with toys scattered around the trailer, and unfit to live in, according to police.

Coley and Doyle were both taken into custody, according to police.