Pair arrested in Lake County, child found on bed with loaded gun between mattresses

Two people were arrested on July 31 in Lake County and face drug and weapons charges.  Through a joint investigation of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Lake County Narcotics Agency, police obtained an arrest warrant for alleged drug trafficking for 24-year-old Kerry D. Johnson, Jr., of 77 Nebraska St. in Painesville.

Authorities located and arrested Johnson outside of a shopping plaza on North Ridge Road in Perry Township. Based on his arrest, police then obtained a search warrant for an apartment on 2432 North Ridge Road in Painesville Township, said Sgt. Brad Kemp with the Lake County Narcotics Agency. 

Inside the apartment, police allegedly found 21-year-old Leigh M. Williams and her child, who was sitting on a bed. Upon searching the room, police allegedly found drug paraphernalia as well as a loaded handgun that was between the mattresses of the bed the child was sitting on, said Kemp.

According to Painesville Municipal Court records, the child is less than 1 year old.  Johnson was arraigned on Aug. 1 in Painesville Municipal Court and charged with a third-degree felony of having weapons under disability and a fourth-degree felony of trafficking crack cocaine. Acting Judge Brett Plassard set bond at $60,000 surety or 10 percent cash, court records show.

Johnson also has another case pending for felony drug trafficking in Lake County Common Pleas Court, according to records.  Williams was also arraigned on Aug. 1 and charged with a fifth-degree felony of permitting drug abuse and a first-degree misdemeanor of endangering children. Plassard set her bond at $10,000 surety or 10 percent cash, court records stated.

The preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 11.