Domestic Dispute Leads to Felony Drug Arrest

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

HOUSTON COUNTY – A domestic disturbance on the afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 8 led to the arrest of a 52- year-old Houston County resident on two felony drug charges and one Class A misdemeanor for assaulting a member of a household.

Rex Darwin Low was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance (penalty group one) in an amount greater than four grams but less than 200 grams, possession of a controlled substance (penalty group two) in an amount less than one gram and assault of a family member or member of a household after deputies with the Houston County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) were dispatched to a residence at 2154 County Road 1650.

According to affidavits of probable cause, HCSO Deputy Juan Noyola was dispatched to the CR 1250 residence at approximately 4:48 p.m. on Jan. 8, in reference to a physical disturbance. When the deputy arrived at the location, he was met by the victim who stated her live-in boyfriend (Low) had assaulted her and had just left the residence “… in a black Dodge pickup truck with a light bar on it and a large sticker on the back glass.”

The victim explained she and Low had gotten into a heated exchange over financial matters. She informed the deputy Low had grabbed her from behind and pushed her to the ground. The force of the shove caused a laceration to the victim’s left cheek when she struck the ground and the injured area was bleeding, the affidavit reported.

The probable cause affidavit further detailed how Low had walked outside “… and came back into the residence, pushed the victim down to the floor on three separate occasions and kicked her several times in the hip and buttocks area, causing pain.”

Deputy Detric Murray was enroute to assist Noyola, the affidavit indicated, when Noyola contacted Deputy Murray and asked if he could assist in locating the truck Low was driving.

Murray located Low at 1648 CR 1640 a short time later, according to the affidavit. Murray communicated with Noyola that he had made contact with the suspect and Noyola requested Murray to place Low under arrest under for assault.

After he was arrested, the affidavit stated “… (Low) wished to unload and take all the items out of his truck and pocket which Deputy Murray allowed him to do.”

As Low was removing items from his pockets and the truck, he asked Murray if he would like to know why the victim was mad, the affidavit indicated.

The deputy asked “why” as Low raised his pant leg and produced a small coin purse.

“The defendant stated, ‘This is why.’ Deputy Murray asked what was inside the purse and the defendant stated meth,” the affidavit stated. “Deputy Murray opened the purse and found two clear baggies, one larger than the other one, with a crystal clear like substance inside of both, believed to be methamphetamine.”

Murray also discovered one and one half pills of oxycodone in the purse, the affidavit reported.

“The meth weighed four grams and the pills weighed 0.3 grams,” according to the report.

Low was detained and transported to the Houston County Jail where he was booked into custody on two counts of drug possession and one count of assaulting a family member or member of a household.

The weight of the methamphetamine made that possession charge a second degree felony while the weight of the oxycodone made it a state jail felony. The assault charge was considered a Class A misdemeanor.

Under Section 12.33 of the Texas Penal Code, “An individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the second degree shall be punished by imprisonment in the institutional division for any term of not more than 20 years or less than two years. In addition to imprisonment, an individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the second degree may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.”

A state jail felony, under Section 12.35 of the Texas Penal Code, is punishable “… by confinement in a state jail for any term of not more than two years or less than 180 days. In addition to confinement, an individual adjudged guilty of a state jail felony may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.”

A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year in jail, a $4,000 fine, or both.

Low remains in the Houston County Jail and his total bond has been set at $21,500.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].

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