Written by: E. George
Published January 30, 2024 @ 8:15 PM ET
Warning: The following story contains information regarding physical violence against/neglect of children.
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. – A 35-year-old Georgia mother is facing a felony murder charge after she consumed illicit drugs and kept her two “minimally clothed” juvenile children (ages three and seven) in the rainy Douglasville woods in freezing temperatures for nearly 12 hours, resulting in the death of her three-year-old daughter, according to a Douglas County Sheriff’s Office press release. Her arrest warrant revealed her to be under the influence of cocaine and marijuana.
Officials believe Uriha Faith Ridge “entered the woods at Fox Hall resort with her children at 12:00 AM and did not call for help until the next morning at 11:51 AM, despite having a cell phone with a properly charged battery.” With the assistance of resort employees, deputies located the family “in a wooden area far from the resort hotel where they were staying.”
They immediately began rendering aid. They noted that the temperatures had fallen below freezing throughout the night and saw that the children “were soaking wet.”
Ridge and her two children were transported to “area hospitals.” Her seven-year-old child suffered hypothermia and dehydration while her three-year-old daughter, who wore only a onesie, sadly perished “due to what is believed to be exposure to the elements.” Fox 5 identified her as Alina.
The National Weather Service reported the low temperature for the night of January 16 in the Atlanta area to be 18 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ridge was arrested and booked into the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Jail on January 19, 2024, without bond, according to online records.
She was charged with felony murder, purchase/possession/manufacturing/distributing less than one ounce of marijuana, two counts of felony first-degree child cruelty – causing excessive physical/mental pain, and two counts of felony second-degree child cruelty – criminal negligence, physical or mental pain.
This case is pending in court, and the investigation remains active.
HuffPost reported that based on court records, Ridge faced child cruelty charges in 2022, when she allegedly punched her now seven-year-old in the head and back before dragging the juvenile by the neck. She also allegedly dropped her then two-year-old daughter while “heavily intoxicated.”
It was not revealed if she was convicted of the 2022 charges; however, she was released on a $5,000 bond. A motion filed to revoke her bond stipulated orders to attend parenting classes and an alcohol therapy program.