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Oklahoma mother arrested; The missing toddler was reportedly handed over to a drug dealer

Police in Oklahoma filed criminal charges last week against a woman who reportedly gave her 2-year-old daughter to a man from whom she bought drugs nearly three years ago.

The child, who would have been 5 years old today, has not been seen since then, law enforcement officials said.

Ashley Rowland, 39, is charged with child abandonment in connection with the 2022 disappearance of her toddler, according to court records filed in Oklahoma County Criminal Court.

Rowland, who lives in Moore, was arrested after a probable cause affidavit was filed in the case on Nov. 1, a court clerk confirmed to USA TODAY on Wednesday.

Moore is a city in Cleveland County, part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, south of the county against which she was charged in the case.

What happened to Ashley Rowland's two-year-old daughter?

According to an affidavit obtained by local media, including KOCO, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services was asked to take custody of the child in April 2023 but was unable to locate him.

When DHS officials contacted Rowland, they said she told them “her daughter was with her father in Georgia,” according to the affidavit obtained by KFOR.

But not long after, the paperwork continues, Rowland told police she gave her daughter to a man named “Carlos” when she bought drugs from him.

During an interview with investigators, the affidavit states, Rowland told officers it was possible that Carlos was the father of her daughter, that she had been using drugs when she gave her daughter away and that she did not know where the girl was be.

A spokesman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation told USA TODAY that the Moore Police Department is leading the investigation.

On Wednesday, Oklahoma Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Sarah Stewart told USA TODAY that an Amber Alert had not been issued for the missing girl.

The agency also released the following statement:

“Situations like those described in this affidavit are heartbreaking and unimaginable. Like the rest of the community, Oklahoma Human Services is concerned about the safety of this child. While we cannot discuss child welfare cases due to state and federal confidentiality laws, the agency would like to thank our law enforcement partners for their continued work in finding her and seeking justice for her disappearance. We remain committed to supporting their efforts, however necessary.

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Ashely Rowland, charged with child abandonment, not listed in jail

Neither the Moore nor the Oklahoma County Jail had Rowland listed online as an inmate Wednesday.

It was initially not known whether the defendant had hired a lawyer in the case.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.

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