In a tragic turn of events, a mother in Douglasville now faces murder charges following the death of her 3-year-old child, who perished after a harrowing night in the cold woods. Disturbingly, records reveal that this mother had a prior child cruelty case on her record, shedding light on a troubling history.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office disclosed that Uriha Ridge was charged with murder after a distressing incident earlier this month. Ridge and her two young children were discovered in the woods, far from the Fox Hall Resort, a hotel where they had been staying.
Deputies reported that the children were found “soaking wet,” enduring sub-freezing temperatures throughout the entire night. Ridge and her children were promptly rushed to the hospital, but tragically, her 3-year-old succumbed to the brutal exposure to the harsh conditions.
Arrest warrants unveiled Ridge’s previous child cruelty charges, stemming from a disturbing incident at the Thunderzone Bowling and Family Entertainment Center in Douglasville in November 2022. According to the warrants, Ridge was accused of assaulting her older child, who miraculously survived the freezing ordeal.
The charges detailed that she had allegedly “punched her older child,” and further allegations included “grabbing (him) by the neck and dragging (him) from one area of the business to another” and “slapping (him) multiple times in the face with an open hand.” In addition, Ridge was accused of dropping her now-deceased younger child “from shoulder level while being heavily intoxicated.”
The incident also involved accusations of her “yelling at children and using curse words around families” at the establishment. Remarkably, Ridge had been granted a $5,000 bond in the November 2022 child cruelty case.
The investigation into the tragic freezing incident has unveiled disturbing details. It is alleged that Ridge had consumed drugs before venturing into the woods with her children and they were in the woods. Shockingly, Ridge left the resort hotel in Douglasville around midnight on January 16 and did not seek help until 11:51 a.m. the following morning, nearly 12 hours later.
Deputies believe that Ridge’s drug use played a pivotal role in her decision to venture into the woods with her 3-year-old and 7-year-old children, clad in inadequate clothing, enduring rain and sub-freezing temperatures for hours. This heartbreaking episode resulted in the loss of her toddler and the hospitalization of the surviving child.
