Westminster Couple arrest on Unlawful Neglect of a Child Charges

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Westminster man and woman Thursday, Oct. 19, on five counts each of unlawful neglect of a child charges. 45-year-old Chad Ledford Edwards and 36-year-old Misty Dawn Edwards were booked into the Oconee County Detention Center. Arrest warrants list both Edwards’ subjects as residing on Arintha Drive in Westminster while the Detention Center also lists a home address of Chad Edwards on Mimosa Drive in Westminster. Investigators from the Criminal Investigations Division responded to the Arintha Drive address on Aug. 9, in reference to a separate investigation. The investigators were unable to make contact with anyone in the residence but they observed two young children in the back yard unsupervised. The investigators announced their presence once again but there was no response inside, whereupon the investigators made entry into the residence and made contact with Chad and Misty Edwards, who were in a room in the back of the house. Other children were located inside of the home, some asleep and some unsupervised in the living room area. Investigators discovered unfit and unsanitary living conditions inside of the residence and contacted the Department of Social Services. The investigators placed the children in Emergency Protective Custody and the children were turned over to DSS for placement. Based upon evidence obtained during the investigation, warrants were obtained against both Chad and Misty Edwards. The arraignment judge set combined $25,000 surety bonds on both Chad and Misty Edwards.