John Jefferson
Inset: Ashley Rowland (Moore, Oklahoma Police Department). Background: The home where Rowland lived with her now-missing child (KOCO).
A 39-year-old woman in Oklahoma has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of her young daughter more than two years ago, allegedly giving the then-2-year-old girl to man selling her drugs.
Ashley Rowland was taken into custody last week and charged with child abandonment in connection with the disappearance of her daughter, who authorities say has not been seen since 2022, Tulsa CBS affiliate KOTV reported.
According to a report from Oklahoma City ABC affiliate KOCO, agents with the the Oklahoma Department of Human Services in April 2023 were tasked with taking custody of the toddler but were unable to locate her. The agents were able to locate and get in touch with Rowland at a residence in Moore, Oklahoma, which is located about 10 miles south of Oklahoma City.
When they made contact with Rowland, she allegedly claimed that the little girl was staying at her father’s home in Georgia.
However, authorities said they were later able to determine that Rowland was lying about the whereabouts of her daughter and contacted the Moore Police Department. During a subsequent interview with detectives, Rowland allegedly admitted that in April 2022 she she gave her daughter to an individual named Carlos. She further stated she believed it was possible that Carlos could be the girl’s biological father, but she did not actually know, KOCO reported.
Rowland allegedly said that she had not seen the child since giving her to Carlos, who was selling her methamphetamine at the time, KOTV reorted. She was also not able to tell investigators anything about the man except that she believed he was planning on traveling to Mexico and he did not have the identification papers for the child.
Police reportedly told KOTV that the child would currently be 5 years old, but they do not know if she is still in the country or even whether she is dead or alive.
“This is a very active case that we are working diligently on,” the department said in a statement to the station. “All leads are being investigated in relation to the location of the child. If you have any information on this case, please contact the Moore Police Department.”
Oklahoma DHS reportedly told KOCO that the department cannot comment on a specifics of the case, but said the entire situation was “heartbreaking and unimaginable.”
Rowland is currently being held in the Oklahoma County Detention Center in lieu of $3,000 bond.
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