Child abandoned by two women charged with child endangerment, both under influence of drugs

On 06-14-2014, at approximately 12:22 p.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a citizen who reported finding an infant crying in a vehicle at Redway Beach, Garberville. Deputies responded to Redway Beach and met with the citizen and other witnesses.  A twenty five year old female witness was holding the 18 month old female child in her arms when deputies arrived. The twenty five year old female witness told the deputies she and a friend arrived at the beach approximately 90 minutes prior to the deputies arrival. She was on vacation and was staying at Benbow Campground. She and her friend came to Redway Beach to play in the river. Upon their arrival at the beach, she saw the rear passenger door to the 2001 Silver Mitsubishi Galant was partially open and a pink blanket was sticking out. The Galant was parked in the sun and it was 85 degrees. She and her friend walked to the river bar and did not see anyone around. They stayed at the river for about an hour when they were contacted by another witness who asked if they left a child in their vehicle. When they said they did not, they immediately returned to the Galant and could hear a small child crying. They looked in the car and saw the child was in distress. They were able to open the vehicles door and remove the girl who was crying, hot to the touch and sweating. They initially did not know there was an adult female in the rear seat of the vehicle passed out due to the clutter in the vehicle.

 Deputies looked in the the vehicle and saw a female lying across the rear seat with her head on the child seat, where the child had been. Deputies attempted to wake the female, who was later identified as Corynn Marie Kennedy, 18 years old from Loleta, with verbal commands but she did not wake up. The eventually were able to wake Kennedy up and determined she was under the influence of a controlled substance. When they asked Kennedy about the child she initially denied knowing a child was in the car, but later told the deputies the child’s mother “Devon”, had left the child with her.  Kennedy told the deputies she did not know where Devon was. Kennedy was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance.

 At approximately 1:15 p.m. a male and female walked up to the deputies’ location. The male identified himself as Joshua Marvin Overholt, 29 years old from Fortuna, and the female as Devon Elizabeth Davis, 22 years old from Shelter Cove.  Davis told the deputies she thought Kennedy was watching her child. Davis was arrested for child endangerment.  When deputies searched Davis they located three Hydrocodone pills and a Alprazolam, both narcotics in her possession. She did not have a prescription for them.  Deputies located approximately 0.4 grams of suspected methamphetamine in Kennedy’s possession.  Deputies determined Overholt appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance and was arrested for being under the influence.

Humboldt County Child Welfare Services was called to the scene and took custody of the 18 month old female.

Kennedy, Davis and Overholt were all transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where they were booked. Kennedy was arrested for being under the influence and possession of  illicit drugs. Her bail was set at $25,000.00.  Davis was arrested for child endangerment and possession of a controlled substance, her bail was set at $75,000.00. Overholt was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance. His bail was set at $5,000.00.