Indiana couple charged in boy's death now face drug charges

BLUFFTON, Ind. (AP) - A northeastern Indiana couple charged in connection with the death of a 3-year-old boy whose burned body was found dumped in a wooded area are now facing drug charges.

Wells County prosecutors filed one count each of dealing methamphetamine Tuesday against the boy's 21-year-old mother, Breanna J. Arnold, and her boyfriend, 30-year-old Zachary Barnes.

Both also face charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in death, abuse of a corpse and other counts charged in the death of the child presumed to be 3-year-old Owen Collins. A coroner hasn't yet released an autopsy report identifying the child.

They are scheduled appear in court Feb. 9 on the new charges.

Arnold and Barnes as well as a 16-year-old boy are charged in the child's death. Police found the burned body Jan. 18 after learning that Owen was missing.

Barnes told police that he, Arnold and the teenage boy would sometimes put drugs into Owen's drinks and those of Arnold's other child, a 6-year-old boy, court records show. Barnes told investigators they did this to "watch them have fun."

Arnold found the 3-year-old dead in the mobile home where she lived with Barnes and the teenage boy on Jan. 18, according to the court documents.

The three were too afraid to call police, so they placed the child's body in dresser drawer until they could figure out what to do with him, The Journal Gazette reported (http://bit.ly/1y9hicy ). Court documents say Barnes and the teen decided to put him in a cardboard box and take him to the wooded area.

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Information from: The Journal Gazette, http://www.journalgazette.net