Brenda Ruth Deutsch, a Missouri woman, was arrested and charged with abuse and neglect of a child, as well as endangering the welfare of a child. Deutsch, who has fostered over 200 children, allegedly physically and mentally abused a girl under the age of 18. The abuse included hitting the girl with various objects and leaving her with an exotic animal collector in Texas.
The allegations against Deutsch were sparked by an anonymous tip received by the state Department of Social Services. The girl reported being hit with objects like a paddle, trim, and shoes, as well as being smacked on the nose hard enough to cause bleeding. She also mentioned being held down by one of Deutsch’s family members while being hit with a paddle.
The girl’s absence from school in Missouri led to an investigation that revealed she was in Texas with the collector. Authorities found that the girl was left alone at the Texas home for days at a time to take care of exotic animals while the collector was out of town for work.
During a forensic interview, the girl revealed that Deutsch would donate her clothes and belongings, leaving her with barely any clothing. She also mentioned not being fed well at Deutsch’s home, leading her to have to steal food. Despite feeling unsafe, the girl had to go back to Deutsch’s house multiple times when she ran away.
Deutsch was given a bond of $250,000 and did not have a defense attorney listed in court records. The investigation into these allegations is ongoing.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image of the presented article.
