Trooper Charges Pair after Allegedly Finding Children in the Back of UHaul
JACKSON, Tenn. – Two people are facing child endangerment charges after a Tennessee State Trooper reported finding four children in the back of a moving Uhaul box truck. Joseph Howarth, Jr., 47, and Tressa J. Morris, 35, both of Euless, Texas, were each charged with two counts of child endangerment (above age 8, a class A misdemeanor) and two counts of felony child endangerment (below age 8, a class D felony). Jose Cecena Manuel, 22, also of Euless, Texas was wanted for a probation violation in Fort Worth, Texas and was held for extradition. Trooper Baron Couper reported that he stopped a U-Haul truck traveling east on Interstate-40 near the 76 mile marker for a lane violation. The three adults in the cab of the vehicle indicated they were traveling from Texas to Ohio. After receiving permission to search the U-Hall, Trooper Cooper heard sounds coming from the back of the truck. After calling for back-up, Trooper Cooper allegedly found four children ages 4, 5, 9, and 13 lying on foam bedding and surrounded by the property of the driver and the children‘s mother. Trooper Dwayne Stanford secured the children in his patrol unit away from the cold temperatures. The three adults were taken into custody and transported to the Madison County Jail. “A case like this emphasizes our ‘all crimes‘ approach to traffic stops and illustrates how troopers are trained to look ‘beyond the ticket.‘ Trooper Cooper‘s instincts to search the vehicle possibly saved these children‘s lives. He is to be commended on his actions,” said THP Colonel Tracy Trott. The Tennessee Department of Children‘s Services took custody of the four children. The case remains under investigation. Howarth and Morris are both being held in jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.
