Foster youth listed as missing person in Cobb County returned home as well; two jailed in early Tuesday morning incident

A traffic stop Monday night in the Rockmart area saw a strange set of events end with youth being taken from their home in the middle of the night on Tuesday, a foster parent finding their missing charge, and two jailed on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges according to Polk County Police reports.

Tamara Rae Rutledge, 33, of 223 N. Piedmont Ave., Rockmart, and William Andrew Summerour, 29, of 823 Forrest Ave., Apt. 2, Rockmart, were both jailed by Polk County Police during a traffic stop behind the Zaxby’s in Rockmart just a few minutes before 10 p.m. on October 18. Rutledge was stopped driving a 2005 Dodge Caravan for a non-functioning brake light after she was first spotted with the issue on Goodyear Avenue by officers.

Officers reported that when they approached the car, they were “immediately overwhelmed by the odor of freshly burned marijuana” and found Rutledge and Summerour in the front seat, and juveniles in the back. Police checked out the information of everyone in the van and found that Summerour was a wanted man.

While getting him out of the van to place him in custody, police noticed that his speech was “muffled” and found out that he was keeping something in his mouth. Police forced Summerour to spit out what he had and they got two bags of marijuana as a result. They also found a bag of meth in one of his pockets as well.

Further investigation and search yielded methamphetamine, marijuana, a THC Vape pen and a Glock 17 handgun in the van. When asked, Rutledge told officers that suspected methamphetamine found in her purse during the search could potentially be cocaine, and she wasn’t sure what she had bought. Summerour denied the handgun was his despite being in the floorboard where he was sitting.

During the stop, police also confirmed that one of the individuals in the car was a missing foster youth from Cobb County. Their foster parent was contacted, confirmed that they were who they said they were, and allowed to leave the scene with the female who had been reported missing.

Additionally, Rutledge told officers that she had “more drugs and drug-related objects in her residence” with three children waiting at home. When police went to her North Piedmont Avenue residence to retrieve the items with her permission, they found the three children alone and the officer who arrived reported the smell of “rotting food and mildew” in the house. Police found additional marijuana, another THC Vape pen, several containers of THC Wax, and a bag of methamphetamine in the bathroom with multiple used needles and a glass smoking pipe used for smoking methamphetamine.

Police called in DFCS and they both determined the children should be sent to Carrollton to their grandparents for their own safety and well-being.

As of this posting, a bond had not yet been set for Summerour who remained in the Polk County Jail on felony charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies, tampering with evidence and a set of misdemeanor charges for marijuana possession and tampering with evidence.

Rutledge remained in jail with a $23,050 bond set for felony charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of a Schedule I controlled substance, possession of tools for the commission of a crime, tampering with evidence, and cruelty to children in the second degree – negligently causing excessive physical or mental pain. She also faces misdemeanor charges for no operating brake lights/signals, marijuana possession, and possession and use of drug-related objects.