Oklahoma authorities are now in the midst of an urgent search for a young girl after her mother confessed to having handed her over to a drug dealer in 2022.
The woman, 39-year-old Moore resident Ashley Rowland, was arrested last week and charged with child abandonment for the disappearance of her then-two-year-old daughter.
Rowland’s testimony confused officials when she revealed she had given the infant to a meth dealer who may or may not have been the child’s father.
While the mother admitted that she hadn’t seen either of them since, she was unable to provide any information, such as the man’s last name or his physical features, to help officials identify him.
Oklahoma authorities are searching for a missing girl who disappeared after her mother gave her to a meth dealer in 2022
Authorities were first notified of the girl’s disappearance when the Oklahoma Department of Human Services tried to take custody of the girl in April 2023 due to reports of her mother’s drug use.
When the department contacted Rowland at a house in Moore, she reportedly claimed that the girl was “with her father in Georgia,” an account later proven false when the infant was nowhere to be found.
During the police’s recent interview, the mother recounted a different version of events, saying that the man she had given her daughter to was named “Carlos” and that he “was heading to Mexico” at the time.
Moore’s residents interviewed by the local outlet KOCO 5 described the situation as “heartbreaking and unimaginable” and recalled seeing the little girl, who is estimated to have recently turned five years old, occasionally playing in her yard.
Authorities said they are unable to determine the status of the infant, whose personal information has not been disclosed for safety reasons
As the investigation continues, Rowland is being held in the Oklahoma County Detention Center on a $3,000 bond. Details on the infant’s name and appearance are not being disclosed at the moment.
“This is a very active case that we are all working diligently on,” the Moore Police Department told local news outlets, but they were unable to confirm whether the girl was still alive.
“All leads are being investigated regarding the location of the child. Don’t hesitate to contact authorities if you have any information on this case.”
According to statistics by the non-profit organization Child Find of America, up to 2,300 children are reported missing in the country every day.
“In the vast majority of these cases, the kidnapper is a parent but not the child’s legal guardian and abducts the child from their legal guardian, such as an estranged spouse or foster home,” the report explained.
“Evil personified.” Readers were shocked by the mother’s willingness to give her child away to a drug dealer
