April 21, 2021
By News Director Jared Atha
A couple from Erick were arrested recently and each charged with one count of child neglect in Beckham County.
According to court records, the incident originated at the Walmart parking lot on March 7 in Elk City when police were dispatched to the store in reference to man passed out in his car. When officers arrived, they found bystanders performing CPR on a man later identified as 31-year-old Kirk T. Creswell who was found passed out in the driver’s seat with a 1-year-old baby in the back.
Creswell was transported to Great Plains Regional Medical Center where a plastic baggy was found on the subject that contained small blue pills. After being treated and released from the hospital a short time later, hospital staff would confirm to authorities that Creswell’s lab work had revealed that he had tested positive for methamphetamine.
The baby’s mother, identified as 32-year-old Lindsey Jean Harkins, told police that she overheard a phone conversation Creswell had with an unknown subject asking where certain individuals lived. She told police that at the time, she thought his behavior was suspicious saying that the subjects named during the conversation were known drug users to her. She would tell police that she believed Creswell went to a location to pick up the pills, with the baby in the backseat, while she was inside the store shopping.
Based on the conversation and evidence, the officer noted in a probable cause affidavit that he believed probable cause existed for the arrest or Harkins for child neglect based on her suspicion that Creswell was preparing to purchase illegal narcotics while the child was in his possession, and that she failed to protect the child.
Both were arrested April 8, and formally charged the next day. Bond for both Harkins and Creswell were set at $10,000 each.
