Cops make arrest after kid brings heroin to school

An East Mount Airy woman has been charged with drug offenses after a boy brought heroin that allegedly belonged her to his elementary school Tuesday, police said.

Latoria Faulk, 25, was arrested early this morning after police served a warrant on her Toyota Avalon, parked near a home at 10th Street near Indiana in North Philly, a police spokeswoman said. In addition to the drug charges, she also faces endangering the welfare of a child and related offenses.

A 7-year-old boy who lives at that home told police that he had found packets of heroin in the kitchen there and then brought them to William Cramp Elementary, on Mascher Street near Tioga, where he's a first-grade student.

He showed the baggies to some of his fellow pupils, catching the attention of school officials, who contacted police. A field test by investigators concluded that the baggies contained heroin, the spokeswoman said.

The boy and three of his classmates were taken to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children for examination, but none was injured in the incident.

Later, after the boy told police where he found the drugs, investigators went to his home, where they found Faulk and other adults, including the boy's mother. Faulk told police that she doesn't live at the home, and was visiting when the boy stumbled upon the heroin.

While police were discussing the case, Faulk went to get something out of her Avalon, and an investigator offered to walk her outside. While out in the street, Faulk became furtive, suddenly telling the officer that she no longer needed anything out of her car, the spokeswoman said.

She consented to a cursory search of her vehicle, during which the investigator found a suspicious package. Police later obtained a warrant for the vehicle and found eight bundles containing a total of 14 packets of heroin, the spokeswoman said.

Faulk, of Stenton Avenue near Gowen, was released tonight after posting bail, court records show.