More than a dozen teens were arrested on charges of underage drinking after a house party this weekend.
A report from the Covington Police Department said officers responded to a residence on Gordy Street around 2 a.m. Sunday in reference to a party and reports of a roadway being blocked.
When an officer arrived, he found multiple cars parked alongside the roadway and saw a woman and man on the porch at the residence.
The officer reportedly parked his patrol car and saw a man, later identified as Vataliy Semenikhin, immediately attempt to go back inside the house, but the door was locked. According to the report, Semenikhin started walking in circles nervously and placed his hands in his pocket.
The report said the officer approached the porch and immediately noticed a strong odor of marijuana. The officer asked who owns the house and was told it was "Jesse,’’ who was inside. The officer could smell alcohol on Semenikhin’s breath, the report said.
The front door opened and the officer asked a man, later identified as Jesse Rainey, whose house it was and Rainey said it was his.
According to the report, the officer said that Rainey "reeked of alcohol and his speech was slurred.’’
The report said the officer, while speaking with Rainey, could see multiple individuals inside the house, and it appeared that several were passed out on the living room floor with all the lights on. When the officer asked for his identification, the report said, Rainey replied: "I’m not giving you anything. I know my governmental rights and you can’t do anything."
The officer then told Rainey he had been dispatched to the location and asked him once again how old he was. Rainey stated he was 19, and the officer arrested him.
Several other Covington police officers arrived at the scene and checked the other people at the home. A total of 15 people were inside the residence. When all 15 were brought outside, officers asked them how many of them had been drinking, and all 15 admitted to consuming alcohol. Their ages ranged from 16 to 20, the report said. All 15 were taken in a police van to the CPD, where they were issued citations for underage consumption of alcohol and released to immediate family members. In addition to Rainey, officers issued citations for underage drinking, consumption of alcohol, to Semenikhin, Jared Floyd, Braden Baxter, Ryan Johnston, Jeremy Mote, Keyan Shepard, Anthony Bradley, Hayli Massey, Destin Banks, Samantha Thompson, Adam Pepe, Ashley Kessler and two juveniles.
When Rainey was asked who else lived in his residence, he replied that he lived there with his father, who was attending a party in Alpharetta. Officers made sure all the doors were locked at the residence before leaving, according to the report.