A Georgia mother was high on cocaine and marijuana when she took her two young children into the woods on a freezing night, resulting in the death of a 3-year-old, authorities said.
Uriha Ridge, 35, has been charged with criminal homicide and four counts of cruelty to children stemming from her visit, which lasted nearly 12 hours as temperatures dipped into the 20s.
Ridge took her 3-year-old daughter, Alina Pascal, and her 7-year-old son to a wooded area near the Foxhall Resort in Douglasville, where the family was staying, on the night of Jan. 16, according to a statement from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
The mother allegedly took drugs before and during the outing, and spent hours with her scantily clad children wondering in the woods after getting lost.
“Uriha is believed to have gone into the forest at Foxhall Resort with her children around 12:00am and did not call for help until the next morning at 11:51am, despite having a mobile phone with a properly charged battery,” officials said. said.
By the time the mother and children were found and rescued, they were soaking wet and cold, having spent the entire night outside.
Uriha Ridge was charged with cocaine and marijuana when police say she took her children into the woods in cold weather, resulting in the death of her 3-year-old daughter. CNN
Ridge’s son was taken to a hospital and survived, but his daughter could not be saved and died of suspected “exposure to the elements,” the sheriff’s office said.
“He caused the death of Alina Pascal, a human being, a child, by carrying the child in the woods in the rain and freezing temperatures with minimal clothing for over 11 hours, causing the child to become hypothermic and die. from disclosure,” Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Lauren Wallace said during Ridge’s first court appearance Thursday, station WJCL reported.
Ridge remained stony-faced as prosecutors laid out the charges against him.
Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Lauren Wallace said in court that Ridge let her children roam the woods for nearly 12 hours. CNN
Investigators wrote that “Ridge’s illegal drug use is believed to be the reason Uriha Ridge took her two children into the woods, scantily clad, in sub-freezing temperatures, and in the rain for more than eleven hours.”
Ridge’s criminal history includes past allegations of child endangerment targeting his daughter, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
In November 2023, he was arrested for allegedly slapping Alina and knocking her down after getting drunk at a bar, according to the warrant.
Ridge allegedly had a fully charged cell phone with him but did not call for help until noon the next day. CNN
Ridge was granted a $5,000 bond in the case and was allowed to retain custody of his children,
The day after Alina’s death, the district attorney asked the judge to revoke the bond.
Ridge is currently being held in the county jail without bond.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
