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St. Johns County deputies find black tar heroin, syringes in car after child left at rest stop

Three people were arrested on drug charges after a child was left at a St. Johns County rest stop for hours, deputies said.

St. Johns County deputies were called to a rest stop on I-95 in St. Augustine on Saturday at approximately 10:40 a.m.

A woman told deputies that a boy came up her car and told her he was lost and needed to find his grandparents.

The woman stayed with the boy for an hour before a deputy arrived, according to a police report.

When the deputy got there, the boy told him that he knew he was in Florida, but did not know where his grandparents were.

He gave deputies one of their phone numbers, but they did not answer several messages left on the phone.

The deputy was later notified that the boy's grandparents were involved in a traffic crash and were headed back to the rest stop.

Deputies said 55-year-old Andrea Yantone, 56-year-old Charlene Pitts and 62-year-old James Morey appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance when they got there.

Yantone, who was driving, had dilated eyes and was sweating "extremely bad" despite being in the shade, deputies said. She was also moving and speaking slowly, according to deputies.

Deputies searched Yantone's van and found two syringes with a brown liquid inside and several unmarked pill bottles full of what deputies determined were controlled substances.

Deputies also found a black sticky substance later identified as "tar heroin" inside an Altoids container.

Deputies found several empty syringes and a spoon that was burnt on the bottom, a police report said.

Yantone, Pitts and Morey were arrested. All three were from Columbus, Ohio, according to deputies.

They are facing drug and contributing to the delinquency of a minor charges.

The boy was turned over to the Department of Children and Families.