Jordan Taylor Poetzman, 28, and Tessa Marie Mathis, both of Leonardtown
UPDATE 6/20/2024: According to court documents, Tessa Marie Mathis, 28, of Leonardtown, told police that she and Jordan Taylor Poetzman, 29, of Leonardtown did not want to live anymore, and she admitted to taking Fentanyl with Poetzman, while their 7-month-old infant was in the back seat and not properly restrained.
Located inside the front seat vehicle were 3 clear bags containing suspected heroin, 2 glass smoking devices with burnt residue, and 2 plastic straws with drug residue.
The infant was seen crying in the back seat and failing to get a response from her parents. The temperature outside was 85 degrees and no AC was detected inside the vehicle. The Vehicle was possibly sitting at the pumps for an hour before emergency services responded to the scene.
UPDATE 6/19/2024: A criminal summons for neglect of a minor was issued on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 for Tessa Marie Mathis, 28, of Leonardtown.
On June 17, 2024 police found Mathis and Jordan Taylor Poetzman, 29, of Leonardtown passed out in a vehicle with a 7-month-old infant in the rear seat.
Mathis avoided arrest after making threats about harming herself or others and was taken to a local hospital for an emergency petition instead being taken to the St. Mary’s County Detention Center.
The Emergency Petition statute in Maryland enables the prompt evaluation of individuals experiencing a mental health crisis having the potential to harm themselves or others to be taken to an emergency facility to assess the need for immediate treatment.
Jordan Taylor Poetzman, 29, of Leonardtown
6/18/2024: On Monday, June 17, 2024, at approximately 2:25 p.m., St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to a welfare check at the 7-11 gas station located in Great Mills.
A citizen requested the welfare check after observing a sedan parked at the fuel pumps with two adults unconscious in the front seats and an infant in a child seat in the back seat.
Deputy Peters arrived and located a red 2015 Chevrolet Cruze with two adults unconscious in the front seats and a female 7-month-old infant in the rear seat. The vehicle driver identified himself as Jordan Taylor Poetzman, 29, of Leonardtown, and his identity was later confirmed by the sheriff’s office prior arrest records.
The adult female who was located unconscious in the front passenger seat was handcuffed and taken into police custody, however, she made threats about harming herself and was taken to a local hospital for an emergency petition. Charges are pending against her.
The infant female in the back seat was identified as the Poetzman’s daughter, who was confirmed to be seven months old. Both Poetzman and the female adult front-seat passenger were unconscious when police attempted to contact them.
Poetzman needed to be physically roused by Deputy Peters, at which time Deputy Peters also observed vomit which had been expelled from Poetzman’s mouth while unconscious. Poetzman admitted to being high after consuming (3) 15 mg Percocet pills, which he did not have a prescription for.
Poetzman reported he drove to the 7-11 gas station and arrived at approximately 1:00 p.m., a driver’s license check at the time of the investigation revealed that Poetzman’s Maryland driver’s license was suspended. Police units checked on the infant in the back passenger side seat who was in an infant safety seat, however, the seat was not secured by any seatbelt to the vehicle seat and was positioned forward-facing when the victim’s size and age required the seat to be installed rear-facing.
Police spoke with Poetzman and continued their investigation, they observed Poetzman’s balance was impaired (difficulty standing straight), his coordination was diminished (dropped a water bottle), his speech was slurred and lethargic, and his eyelids were exceptionally droopy, and he had difficulty keeping his eyes open due to repeatedly nodding off (appearing to fall asleep standing up).
In plain view inside the driver’s door police located a clear plastic baggie containing a rocky white substance which was identified as suspected fentanyl, also located inside the vehicle were 2 glass smoking devices with burn residue, 2 plastic straws with drug residue, and 0.7 grams of rocky white substance, suspected fentanyl.
Poetzman is currently being held without bond at the St. Mary’s County Detention Center and is scheduled to appear for a bail review on 6/20/2024 at 1 pm in St. Marys District Court.
Jordan Taylor Poetzman, 29, of Leonardtown was charged with the following.
- NEGLECT OF MINOR
- (DRIVING, ATT.TO DRIVE) VEH. WHILE SO FAR IMPAIRED BY (DRUG(S),DRUG(S)&ALCO.)) CANNOT DRIVE SAFELY
- (DRIVING, ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE) VEH. WHILE IMPAIRED BY CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE
- PERSON DRIVING MOTOR VEH. ON (HWY., PUBLIC USE PROPERTY) ON SUSPENDED LIC. AND PRIVILEGE
Jordan Taylor Poetzman, 29, of Leonardtown
