Friday arrest nets multiple charges including child abuse/child neglect or endangerment

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- During Friday afternoon’s school zone on East Central Avenue in front of La Follette Middle School is when and where La Follette Police Narcotic Det. Noah Riggs saw a wanted woman behind the wheel of a 2008 silver Chevrolet Equinox.

Through LPD Dispatch, Riggs confirmed outstanding warrants on Melissa Riggs, the driver of the Chevy. The narcotic detective watched Melissa Riggs turn onto Foothills Drive and pull into the LMS parking lot. Since the school zone traffic was so heavy, the officer followed Riggs out of the school zone and made a traffic stop in the 100 block of North Indiana Avenue.

Narcotic Det. Riggs placed Melissa Riggs under arrest for outstanding warrants. Riggs was given consent by Melissa Riggs to search her vehicle. Then Melissa Riggs stated that there was a “dope pipe” in the SUV, according to the police report.

In his report, Narcotic Det. Riggs details said he recovered a large purse zip bag from the front seat passenger side floorboard. Inside the bag, in a zip compartment, there were allegedly two socks that contained two glass pipes with burn marks and white powder residue. Also allegedly in the compartment was a green colored frog change purse that contained a short red straw and a corner baggie with a crystal-like substance in the baggie weighing approximately .1 gram. Elsewhere in the change purse was some loose shards of crystal-like substance with an unknown weight, based on the report from La Follette Police.

Det. Riggs noted there were two children in the Chevy with Melissa Riggs, an 11-year old and a 14-year old. The older child was in the back seat. The officer said the 11-year old was sitting in the front seat passenger side seat with the purse that had the possible narcotics at the youngster’s feet.

The children were expected to be referred to the Department of Children Services.

Melissa Riggs, 36, of 326 Goins Lake Lane, La Follette, was charged with child abuse/neglect or endangerment, drug free school zone, speeding, driving with license suspended/cancelled/revoked, simple possession of schedule II-meth and possession of drug paraphernalia. Melissa Riggs is due in court on Thursday, and in the meantime, she remains housed in the Campbell County Jail on a $100,000 secure bond. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-08/12/2025-6AM)

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