The following is a press released from Ukiah Police Department. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
On 1/8/21 at approximately 1044 hours, a concerned family member requested UPD officers perform a welfare check on two children (ages seven and three years old) after learning the children had been listed as absent from school that day. The family member advised she had attempted to call the parents (Stephanie Phillips and Sean Finnegan) of the children, but their phones went directly to voicemail, which she found odd.
UPD officers responded to the residence and knocked on the door. The two children answered the door alone. The officers asked the children if they could speak to their parents. The children advised their parents were in bed and would not wake up. The officers requested the children attempt to wake the parents up and come to the door. The
children returned to the door a few minutes later and advised the officers that their parents would not wake up. Fearing the parents were having a medical emergency the officers entered the residence to check their welfare.
The officers responded to the parents’ bedroom and located Phillips and Finnegan sleeping in their bed. The officers observed Finnegan was holding a pipe in his hand that is commonly used to smoke methamphetamine. The officers observed suspected heroin on a nearby nightstand. The officers observed numerous pills that were identified as Xanax throughout the bedroom. All of these objects were located in a spot that made them easily accessible to the children.
The officers attempted to wake Phillips and Finnegan, but found that they would only wake up for a short period of time and then fall back asleep. Eventually officers were able to wake Phillips and Finnegan. Officers performed an evaluation on Phillips and Finnegan and concluded that both subjects were under the influence of a mixture of controlled substances.
The officers concluded that Phillips and Finnegan had left the young children unsupervised for an unknown amount of time as a result of their drug use. The officers concluded that Phillips and Finnegan had placed the young children in a situation that was likely to produce great bodily harm or death by having illegal narcotics in the residence that were easily accessible to the children. Phillips and Finnegan were both placed under arrest for 273a(a) PC, 11550(a) HS, 11364(a) HS, and 11350(a) HS. A records check revealed that Phillips was on summary probation out of Mendocino County with the term “obey all laws”. Phillips was also placed under arrest for 1203.2(a) PC for violating her probation.
The officers contacted Child Protective Services (CPS) and had them respond to the residence. CPS took custody of the children and later placed the children in the care of other family members.
Phillips and Finnegan were transported to the MCSO Jail where they were booked on the above listed charges.
