Metro Drug Bust in Suburban West Monroe Neighborhood

Narcotics agents flocked to a family friendly neighborhood in West Monroe just before eight o’clock Thursday night, making a major drug bust and putting a convicted felon back behind bars. People living in this quiet neighborhood say they had suspicions about what was going on inside their neighbors home, but when they saw about 12 narcotics cars swarm the block, it became quite clear. Georgiana Tarantino watched her sons play ball Friday evening in their peaceful West Monroe neighborhood. It is a day just like any other, but Thursday it was a completely different scene. A major drug bust went down just a block away. Arrested was 40-year-old David Young. He has been booked on federal drug and weapons charges. Agents have been watching young since October, and after searching his home, they found 71 grams of cocaine and more than 6 hundred lortab pills and zanax inside. Young is a convicted felon in Texas and admitted to buying drugs there and bringing them here to sell. “It just really makes you realize you dont know all the people around you.” Tarantino says, “You cant always be so trusting and you cant make yourself too vulnerable no matter where you are no matter what neighborhood." Benny Tannehill has two teenage children and lives next door to young. He has zero tolerance for drugs. “I had my suspicions because there was a lot of traffic back and forth to Texas,” but Tannehill says, “I had no proof. Had I had proof, I’d have turned him in myself." Jim Cox says his neighbor has a young daughter, so he wouldnt expect this kind of activity to be going on right across the street from his home. "We hung out a couple of times. I mean I’d never thought anything bad of him.” Cox says, “I didnt know he was into the stuff he was doing behind everybodys back." Neighbors also say several law enforcement officials live in this neighborhood, so they cant believe anyone would be selling drugs so close by. "A lot of criminals think theyre too smart to get caught I guess.” Tannehill says, “Thats one of their downfalls." The neighbors all say theyre glad Young is in jail and they hope justice will be served. (Copyright 2008, NBC 10/Fox 14 News, Written by Casey Ferrand)