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SUNSET CITY, Davis County — Some Sunset residents are celebrating a drug raid on a neighbor's home. They say they've been sending tips to police and keeping an eye on activity there for nearly two years.
Investigators say the house contained a wide variety of drugs, and it was all going on next door to Sunset Elementary School. Neighbors say that's why this was such a big problem.
Some residents told KSL News there was a lot of activity with lots of young children passing by the house every day, walking to and from school.
The broken windows and smashed glass left behind from the Thursday morning raid may be an eyesore to some, but for neighbor Heather Candland it's what was there before that caused the real problems.
"We are so happy, just so happy," Candland said. "The neighborhood all collectively knew what was going on. It was very frustrating."
She and several other neighbors say they are relieved the ordeal is over.
The neighborhood all collectively knew what was going on. It was very frustrating." -neighbor Heather Candland
"This has been a long time coming," said Mandy Hadley, who lives next door to the suspected drug house.
"Oh, I think everyone just kept smiling," Candland said. "I had one lady said that she just smiled the whole way to work."
Metro Davis Narcotics agents had been watching the house, near 1900 North and 250 West for a couple of months. Around 4:00 Thursday morning, Hadley heard a ruckus.
"(There was) loud shouting, 'Police! Police!' (and) loud thuds. Just lots of commotion," she said.
"(I was) kind of concerned, and (felt) kind of excitement that something was being done," Hadley said.
Narcotics officers arrested three residents at the home.
Haley Blair is accused of drug possession. Tanya Marie Allen, 42, and Larry Gene Lee, 50, were booked into the Davis County Jail on suspicion of multiple distribution charges.
Just always shady characters, walking the neighborhood, and never knowing what could happen to your kids.
–neighbor Sarah Rentmeister
Lt. Mark Chatlin from the Davis Metro Narcotics Unit says there were many different drugs found there.
The house contained "methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, Spice," Chatlin said, "as well as some prescription drugs."
Police say there was about $8,000 to $10,000 worth of drugs found in the house.
Over the past two years, neighbors say they had noticed lots of activity at the home.
"Just always shady characters walking the neighborhood, and never knowing what could happen to your kids," Sarah Rentmeister.
They say they often turned in tips to cops.
"We wrote down license plates," Candland said, "and tried to help the best we could."
Officers say the information was ultimately helpful to their investigation.
Davis County SWAT helped the narcotics agents with the raid on that home. In addition to the three residents, two more people who were in the home at the time were booked for outstanding warrants.
