Tip leads to house search, drug arrests

FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WALA) - A tip from a concerned resident resulted in two arrests Sunday, February 24.  Fairhope Police booked a man and his girlfriend on multiple drug charges. Fairhope Police Chief Joe Petties has only led the department for a couple weeks, but he has a message for those dealing in drugs.

“If you want to do drugs, you need to move out of Fairhope,” Petties said.

Darren Devane Dees and Tiffany Lyn Keefe are charged with drug trafficking, manufacturing of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and chemical endangerment of a child.  Petties said it started when a resident called and said Dees and a young girl were walking down the street and Dees was acting suspicious.

“The people calling just wanted us to check on him and make sure they brought a dog and so when the officer got there, they talked to him, asked identification from the male.  He had methamphetamines on him,” Petties said.

Police said officers then took the teenage girl to her home on Fox Run Street in the East Gate subdivision. 

Police said when Keefe opened the door, the officer knew something wasn’t right.  Petties said the officer smelled chemicals used to make meth and called the homeowner for permission to search the house.  Chemicals were found along with more finished meth. 

The arrests have shocked folks who live in the quiet neighborhood. 

“I’ve never seen a police car in this neighborhood as long as I’ve lived here, and to see what happened yesterday was just totally shocking and out of character for our neighborhood,” said Debbie Ray who’s lived in the neighborhood for two years.

Chief Petties said no one is immune to meth or the problems it brings because of how addicting it is. 

Chief Petties said one of his top priorities is to eradicate drugs from his city.

“I just feel like if we can cut down on the drugs coming in here and the drugs being bought here in Fairhope or wherever they’re bought at, but used here in Fairhope, then it’s going to cut down on other crimes that we see,” said Petties.

Both Dees and Keefe remain in the Baldwin County Jail on a pre-set bond amount of $1,036,000. They will have their official bond hearing on Wednesday.  The teenage girl is in the care of Department of Human Resources.