The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of a 34-year-old San Tan Valley mother, Jillian Hughes, for smoking marijuana with her children and other minors who are ages 11 to 16 years. The allegations were brought to law enforcement by the staff at a San Tan Valley elementary school, where a 14-year-old child reported that she was offered marijuana by the suspect when she was staying overnight at her house.
Subsequent investigation identified five victims, four of which are the suspect’s children. Hughes, age 34, was arrested on May 19 by Pinal County Sheriff’s Detectives.
Sheriff Paul Babeu said of the arrest, “This case should be shocking to the community for the blatant disregard this mother had for her children’s’ well-being. This woman was supposed to be protecting her kids from the dangers of drugs, but instead, provided her own kids and their friends with drugs and allegedly used drugs with her kids.”
The investigation began on May 5 when PCSO deputies were called to a San Tan Valley elementary school after the staff received information that a 14-year-old student had slept over at a friend’s house on March 25 and the mother asked them to smoke marijuana with her. The school staff had notified the state Department of Child Services and a state investigator was on scene when deputies arrived at the school.
The DCS investigator spoke to Jillian Hughes on the telephone and she admitted to smoking marijuana with her children and admitted to currently having marijuana in the house. After hearing the allegations and admissions, deputies and a DCS investigator went to the residence of Jillian Hughes in San Tan Valley.
At the Hughes residence, Jillian was contacted and allowed detectives to search her residence, where a quantity of marijuana, scales and paraphernalia were located in the master bedroom. Marijuana was found in the 16-year-old child’s room as well. Jillian advised that her 14-year-old child was home and her 16-year-old was at school, but she didn’t know where her 11 and 12 year old children were.
Deputies searching the house found the 11-year-old and 12-year-old children sleeping in a hall closet. Jillian acted surprised to see the kids in the closet and said that she thought the kids were at school.
Based on the findings at the home, DCS took custody of all four children. Detectives impounded the contraband drugs and paraphernalia and left the residence advising Jillian that they would be filing charges at a later date.
While in DCS custody, the children admitted to smoking marijuana regularly and often did it with their mother. All four tested positive for marijuana in their system. During a subsequent interview with PCSO detectives, all four of the children changed their story, saying they didn’t remember smoking marijuana with their mother.
Sheriff Paul Babeu said, “The 14-year-old friend who originally brought these crimes to our attention told detectives that Jillian Hughes offered her marijuana in a glass bong the night she stayed over at their house. She also witnessed three of her children and other friends smoking marijuana and even saw one of the children give the mother $10 in exchange for marijuana.”
Once the interviews were completed on May 19, deputies went to arrest Jillian Hughes. She was contacted and arrested after deputies stopped her car near her residence.
Sheriff Babeu continued by saying, “Jillian was interviewed while in custody and told our detectives she knew all her children smoked marijuana, but stopped short of saying that she furnished them marijuana. She is facing five-counts of child abuse and five-counts of furnishing drugs to minors, as well as possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.”
PCSO detectives believe there may possibly be several other victims that visited the house and have yet to be identified. If anyone has information regarding other children that may have been exposed to the drug use at this residence, please call the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office at 520-866-5111.