OWENSBORO, Ky. — The search for the missing 8-month-old continues as a total of eight people have now been arrested.
Kentucky State Police (KSP) said they opened a missing child investigation on Thursday, June 6, after a search warrant and welfare check concerning Miya Rudd, of Reynolds Station, was conducted.
Miya hasn't been seen by the family since the end of April, according to a police report.
State troopers arrested the eighth person, 28-year-old Brodie Payne of Reynolds Station, on Thursday, June 13. He was charged for his alleged role in a drug operation at the Rudd residence.
Authorities said he lived at the house for about six months before he was arrested.
Investigators found Payne was using USPS for his drug trafficking operation, and they arrested him with a half pound of meth and less than a pound of suspected fentanyl laced pills.
He's charged with trafficking in controlled substance; trafficking of legend drugs; trafficking marijuana; engaging in organized crime and possession of paraphernalia and wanton endangerment.
Miya's grandparents, Taletha and David Tucker of Owensboro, were arrested on Wednesday. This is the second set of grandparents to be arrested.
Taletha Tucker was charged as a fugitive from another state (Indiana) and David Tucker was arrested for a non-payment warrant issued in Daviess County, Ky.
The Tuckers are the parents of Miya's mother, 29-year-old Tesla Tucker, who was arrested last week at a Super 8 in Owensboro along with the baby's father, 30-year-old Cage Rudd. Police added that Tucker and Rudd were found with a "large amount of drugs" and both said they didn't know where Miya was.
Both parents were charged with first-degree trafficking in controlled substance (greater than 2 grams - methamphetamine), trafficking of legend drugs, trafficking marijuana, first-degree child abuse, abandonment of a minor and engaging in organized crime and possession of paraphernalia.
The Tuckers and Miya's parents are currently booked at the Daviess County Detention Center in Owensboro.
Court documents show that Tesla told her mother Taletha, who has custody of all Tesla's children, that social workers and officers went to Tesla's home on May 1 and removed Miya. However, authorities confirmed that no social workers or police had gone to her home to remove the infant.
Prior to Miya's maternal grandparents being arrested, another set of the baby's grandparents were also arrested.
Miya's grandfather, 56-year-old Ricky Smith, was arrested last week and charged with first-degree trafficking in controlled substance (greater than 2 grams - methamphetamine), trafficking of legend drugs, first-degree child abuse, abandonment of a minor, engaging in organized crime, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and persistent felon offender I.
Three days later, police arrested Miya's grandmother, 49-year-old Billie Smith, on second-degree assault with a domestic violence warrant. Officers said the warrant stems from an incident in Daviess County on October 2023. Troopers were conducting a search/welfare check for the missing 8-month-old when they discovered Billie had an active warrant.
Billie is currently booked at the Ohio County Detention Center, and being held on a $25,000 cash bond.
As police were entering the driveway to the Smith's home, they said they saw 37-year-old Timothy Roach throw unprescribed Suboxone under his vehicle.
He was also arrested alongside Billie and taken to the Ohio County Detention Center.
Roach was charged with second-degree possession of a controlled substance and first-degree prescription controlled substance not in a proper container.
Miya is described as having brown hair and green eyes. She was last suspected to be in the care of her parents, Tesla and Rudd.
This week, Kentucky State Police began using cadaver dogs to try and locate Miya. They first searched around the family's home and then searched a church cemetery and the wooded area behind the church in Reynolds Station, which is about two hours southwest of Louisville.
KSP is requesting anyone with information regarding the missing child to contact them immediately at (270) 826-3312.
The investigation is ongoing. We will update this story with more information as we learn more.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.