Woman Arrested After Police Find Unsecured Guns, Narcotics In Apartment With 4 Children

WOODBRIDGE, VA — A Woodbridge woman was arrested Saturday after authorities found unsecured guns and illegal narcotics in an apartment with four children, the Prince William County Police Department said.

Police officers responded to the home after a man pointed a gun at the woman while violating a protective order, according to the police report.

No injuries were reported. The children were given to a family member, police said.

Authorities identified the woman as 29-year-old Antoinett Jewel Scott. Scott is charged with felony child neglect, possession of stolen property, possession of a sawed-off gun, possession of a firearm while in possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance. She was held at the Prince William County Adult Detention Center on a $15,000 secured bond.

Police identified the man as 32-year-old Jerrell Christopher Johnson of Fredericksburg. He is wanted on charges of brandishing and violating a protective order. The police department described Johnson as a Black man who is about 6 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

The incident began around 7:45 a.m. on Saturday at the Crossings at Summerland Apartments. Investigators believe Scott and Johnson had an argument that morning which escalated when Johnson pointed a gun at Scott. Scott had an active protective order against Johnson, the police department said.

When police officers arrived at the apartment, they noticed that the front door was damaged. Inside the apartment, the officers found Scott alongside four children, according to the police report. The children were all younger than 8 years old.

"While serving a search warrant at the residence, officers located a total of four unsecured firearms inside the apartment including a sawed off shotgun and three handguns along with suspected illegal narcotics," the police department said in a news release. One of the handguns had been reported as stolen.

Scott was taken into custody and police officers received warrants for Johnson's arrest. Investigators have been unable to locate Johnson.

Anyone with more information about Johnson's whereabouts can contact the police department's tipline at 703-792-7000. Tips can also be submitted online.

There are a number of resources available to victims of domestic abuse in Virginia. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be found at 1-800-799-7233. Virginia's family violence hotline can be reached at 1-800-838-8238.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration operates a 24/7 hotline for people struggling with substance abuse at 1-800-662-4357.