Mom of missing girl says she gave away 2-year-old daughter in drug deal, OK cops say
An Oklahoma woman recently charged in her daughter’s disappearance says she gave the girl up to a drug dealer, police told news outlets.
According to investigators, Ashley Rowland, 39, gave away her 2-year-old daughter to a man she was buying meth from in 2022, KOTV reported. However, it would be a long time before authorities said they discovered the girl was no longer with her mother.
The state Department of Human Services was supposed to see her in April 2023, and when it wasn’t able to find her, it got in touch with Rowland, who was living in Moore, KOCO reported. Rowland said her daughter was with her dad, in Georgia, but officials said they figured out that was a lie, at which point police got involved.
Court records show a probable cause affidavit was filed against Rowland on Nov. 1 in Oklahoma County.
She was arrested by Moore police, the department told McClatchy News in an email.
In an interview with police, Rowland is accused of saying she gave her daughter away to a man named Carlos, someone she was allegedly buying drugs from at the time, KOKH reported. He reportedly told Rowland that he would be leaving soon for Mexico. She told police she hasn’t seen him or her daughter since April 2022, according to officials.
Rowland is charged with child desertion, the station reported. DHS officials declined to comment on the case but told the outlet they are grateful for the efforts of investigators trying to find the missing girl.
Rowland’s daughter would be 5 years old now, officials told KOTV, adding that they have no way of knowing if she’s alive or dead.
Despite how long the girl has been missing, Moore police say “this is a very active case that we are all working diligently on.”
“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,” police added.
Moore is a roughly 10-mile drive south from downtown Oklahoma City.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Mom of missing girl says she gave away 2-year-old daughter in drug deal, OK cops say."