It can destroy the very best of families.
A Tulare County Supervisor is living proof.
Phil Cox's daughter was arrested yesterday on drug and theft charges.
He wants her story to serve as a warning about the long downward spiral of meth use.
CBS47's Lemor Abrams has the family's struggle.
21-year old Heidi Cox is pictured here in her mug shot.
A lot different than her high school senior photo four years ago.
But even at 17 years old, her father...Tulare County Supervisor Phil Cox…knew he was in for a bumpy ride.
“I expected this for quite some time, about the last 3 years she's hung around a really bad crowd. we tried to get her away from,” Cox said.
Cox says he also tried getting her away from her boyfriend, Donnie Johnson, arrested with her at the Red Roof Inn.
Both....accused of thefts in
Police say they had methamphetamine in the room.
“This is her third arrest in the last seven months; my wife and i knew this was coming...it's still been difficult on the family,” he said.
Cox and his wife adopted Heidi.
He believes she may have been exposed to drugs as a baby.
“We told her that she had the possibility that if she did do drugs that she could be addicted,” he said.
Cox says Heidi's meth use started in high school.
“It was introduced to her by a boyfriend and we were able to get her away for a boyfriend,” he said.
Flindt Anderson, a local drug abuse specialist, says meth grabs hold of a person fast… and it's devastating effects can destroy the best of families.
“We've noticed that it is affecting lots of families not only in the middle but higher income bracket. A lot of times families and rightfully so they don't want to believe their child is doing illicit drugs,” said Andersen.
Cox isn't giving up on his daughter…and he accepts that being in the public eye means extra scrutiny.
"Years ago when my wife and I decided I would run for city council in
Cox plans to visit his daughter in jail Saturday morning.