Foster Mom Allegedly Trades Child for Monkey
A Missouri woman is facing multiple charges related to the alleged abuse of a foster child, and authorities are currently investigating a rather bizarre and concerning allegation that she may have traded a girl for a monkey.
Brenda Ruth Deutsch of Lincoln County, Missouri, was taken into custody over the weekend and charged with two counts of abuse or neglect of a child and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.
According to a probable cause statement obtained by KSDK, Police began investigating the situation after the Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division got an anonymous tip alleging mental and physical abuse of a teenage girl she was supposed to be caring for.
The victim told police that Deutsch would hit her with a paddle, wooden trim, shoes, and an open hand. She also told police that Deutsch would steal her clothes and give them away as a form of punishment.
Lincoln County Prosecutor Mike Wood called the allegations "particularly heinous and just disturbing to read," especially considering that Deutsch fostered more than 200 children and teens.
"Two things that really stood out was the number of children that had been fostered through that home and then the allegations that these types of abuse and emotional neglect had been going on for what seemed to be perhaps a decade," Wood said.
The wildest allegation that police are currently investigating is a claim that Deutsch, who collects exotic animals, traded the girl in exchange for a monkey.
The probable cause statement alleges that at one point, Deutsch arranged for the girl to go to Texas to stay with Deutsch’s friend at a house filled with exotic animals. Woods said that one witness came forward, telling authorities that they had been asked to bring the child down to Texas and bring a monkey back to Deutsch instead.
"A witness who had come forward with some information regarding the systemic abuse that was going on in the home, had said that they had been asked to bring the child down to Texas and bring the monkey back in return," Wood said. "Obviously we have to do more investigation to see if that's actually credible or if that's true."
Woods said they have already had people come forward with information about other potential victims.