Deputies arrest two for cooking meth in house off Market St.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office arrested two people for cooking meth in a house off Market Street.

Lt. Jerry Brewer with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office said they had been investigating the house on Edward Street for about two to three weeks, because of a complaint.

Neighbors say they have had complaints and concerns about the house ever since new neighbors moved in.

“I’ve had drug addicts passed out in my ditch in the front of the house,” Bruce Bratz said.

Bruce Bratz said the problems in his neighborhood off Market Street started when new neighbors moved in across the street.

“I’ve been living here for 25 years,” Bratz. “The residents prior to that, an older couple, very nice.”

Bratz said the concerns have been piling up.

“I’ve had police officers tell me to keep my doors locked,” Bratz said. “I’ve had my cars broken into and on top of that my grand kids are scared.”

Brewer said they began investigating after they got a complaint about people cooking meth in the house on Edward Street.

“I mean we’re three streets, four streets away from a school and we have this in our neighborhood and we have our kids walking around in fear and you fear for you kids,” Bratz said.

Deputies arrested Gabriel Blain Baugus, 39, and his girlfriend Kelly Leanne Thomas, 39, after a executing a search warrant.

“I’ve very thankful the police did what they did today,” Bratz said. “It’s long overdue. Something had to be done and hopefully it ends here.”

Baugus is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and three counts of possible distribution of meth precursors.