Two Accused of Smoking Pot with Kids in the Car

Authorities say a man and a woman were spotted smoking marijuana in a car with a three-year-old child and a 15-year-old girl at the Price Chopper store in Chenango Bridge.

Investigators say 33-year-old Marlena Gatewood and 19-year-old Clement Millwood were charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. They also were charged with unlawful possession of marijuana.

According to the Broome County Sheriff's Office, someone provided a tip to deputies about people who were smoking pot while sitting in a blue Hyundai Elantra in the supermarket parking lot. The incident was reported shortly after noon on Tuesday.

A deputy heading to the store spotted the car driving on Upper Front Street. He stopped the vehicle as it pulled into the Northgate Plaza. The deputy detected a strong odor of marijuana smoke coming from inside the vehicle.

The three-year-old child was in the rear section of the vehicle, sitting unsecured in a car seat. A small baggie of marijuana was on the back seat floor, near the toddler. The 15-year-old girl was in the front seat of the car

Deputies say Gatewood and Millwood admitted they had been smoking pot in the presence of the children. The kids were turned over to family friends.

Gatewood and Millwood were given appearance tickets for Chenango town court.