By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – A 44-year-old Alabaster woman is being held in the Shelby County Jail on bonds totaling $17,000 after she was arrested and charged with allegedly exposing her child to methamphetamine.

The Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force arrested Heather Brooke Isaacs, who lists an address on King Charles Court, on Aug. 25, and charged her with one felony count of chemical endangerment of a child and misdemeanor counts of possession of imitation drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The charges came after a lunchroom employee at a local school noticed a suspicious substance on a child’s lunch money and reported it to the school’s resource officer, said SCSO Commander Lt. Clay Hammac.

The Helena Police Department tested the substance, and determined it was traces of methamphetamine before reporting the situation to the Task Force, according to Hammac.

Hammac said Task Force officers and Department of Human Resources employees conducted a home visit and interview with the suspect, and allegedly discovered traces of methamphetamine use in the household.

“At the residence, we found what I would consider deplorable conditions, especially for a child,” Hammac said.

Following the home visit, the Task Force took Isaacs into custody and DHR placed the child in a safe environment.

“This is a heartbreaking case which illustrates drug addiction and abuse is not a victimless crime,” Hammac said. “The heroes in this case are the DHR employees. They maintained the child’s safety as their number-one priority throughout the investigation, which is still ongoing.

“The criminal charges in this case are absolutely warranted,” Hammac said.

As of Aug. 28, Isaacs was still being held in the Shelby County Jail on bonds totaling $17,000. Her preliminary hearing date had not yet been scheduled in Shelby County District Court.