South Fulton eviction leads to 300-pound pot bust

Eviction turns into 300 pound drug bust

A South Fulton eviction took a criminal turn after marshals discovered over 300 pounds of marijuana and arrested a mother while three men fled the scene.

SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - A mother is behind bars and three men are on the run after a routine eviction ends up as a drug bust.

What we know:

Fulton County marshals on Tuesday stopped at a home on the 5000 block of Cantbury Way to serve an eviction notice. They ended up executing a drug bust.

Tabitha Rhodes, a neighbor, could not believe it. "It’s quiet up there," Rhodes said. "It’s very surprising."

An officer who was part of the investigation wants to remain anonymous. He says another officer showed up on Tuesday morning to tell the woman who lived at the home he was there to evict her. "It was a courtesy warning," the investigator said.

Officers came back eight hours later. "He noticed several male individuals inside the residence as well," the investigator said. "We heard loud banging coming from the garage area."

The investigator says what appeared to be a rental truck and pickup were backed up to the garage. "While we were clearing the residence, those males jumped into the vehicles and fled the scene," the investigator said.

He says the men left the woman behind.

What they're saying:

"The eviction crew discovered numerous boxes in the garage, all containing suspected marijuana in large quantity, approximately 334.8 pounds," the investigator said. "We were shocked, absolutely shocked that they would move everything else out of the house, but they would leave the marijuana inside."

Officers arrested Carlecia Arnold. "They obviously thought they had something more valuable to get out of the house. They didn’t bother to get the marijuana. That’s my thought," Rhodes said.

 Carlecia Arnold (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

The marshal’s department says two children lived at the home with Arnold. The marshal’s department says their grandmother picked them up.

Arnold is charged with trafficking marijuana.

The three men are still on the run.