A man and a woman were arrested by Livingston Parish police for smoking marijuana in the presence of 10 children.

Thursday morning, a Livingston Parish Deputy saw smoke coming from underneath a bridge on the I-12 near Holden, La.  The deputy left his car to investigate, finding a makeshift campsite with ten children, ranging in age from 9- to 14-years-old that were playing around a campfire, according to a statement from Livingston police.

Tonya Garrett and Mark Hoyt

The deputy saw two adults in a smoke-filled car nearby with a strong odor of marijuana emanating from it.  When the deputy approached and asked the adults – Mark Hoyt, 27, Holden, and Tonya Garrett, 31, Greenwell Springs -- what they were doing, they replied “smoking pot,” according to Livingston Parish police.

A search of the car was performed, revealing a plastic baggie of marijuana, along with several burnt marijuana cigarettes and rolling papers.  The deputy also found Loratab pills, which Hoyt admitted that he had been crushing and snorting, according to police.  

Livingston police arrested Hoyt and Garrett, but Livingston police said Hoyt resisted arrested from a deputy.  The Office of Child Services had to be called because there were no sober adults at the campsite to take custody of the children, according to police.

Hoyt was booked on charges of one count of possession of marijuana – second offense – one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, one count of possession of a controlled substance, one count of resisting arrest and 10 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

Garrett was booked on one count of possession of marijuana, one count of drug paraphernalia and 10 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

Both suspects bonded out of jail Friday.