Several suspects were arrested for drug related offenses by the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department.

One of the cases began with deputies responding to a complaint of a dog running loose in a neighborhood that ended with the owner of the canine being arrested for allegedly growing marijuana.

Sheriff David Allison said the complaint was lodged with the department on April 28, and alleged the dog was unleashed and killing animals in the area of Deer Run Road.

The deputies arrived at 71 Deer Run Road, the home of 48-year-old John Ashley, to ask about the complaint. When they asked for his identification, Ashley said he had to go in the home to retrieve it, Allison said.

While one deputy waited for Ashley to come back with his identification, a second went to the back of the home to ensure Ashley did not flee out the rear door.

Ashley was then seen exiting the home from the rear door, and then walk to a garden where he pulled up a number of plants. When the deputy asked him to stop what he was doing, Ashley ran to the edge of the woods. The deputy followed Ashley to retrieve the plants, noticing that there were several marijuana plants in the garden where he pulled up the previous plants.

Allison said that Ashley and 35-year-old Samantha Brockett, who also lives at that address, were taken into custody for the offense of cultivating marijuana. They have since bonded out on $3,000 bonds each. The plants were recovered and disposed of, Allison said.

In a separate case that occurred on May 3, narcotics investigators assisted officers with the Mississippi Department of Corrections in a residence check at 227 Whitesand Rd., Poplarville, the home of 56-year-old James Henry.

When law enforcement personnel knocked on his door, Henry refused to answer. Allison said that investigators confirmed Henry was home at that time. Because he refused to answer the door, the narcotics investigators obtained a search warrant, which led to the discovery of methamphetamine, oxycodone and a firearm in the home, Allison said.

Henry was subsequently arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of oxycodone and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, Allison said.