A 29-year-old mother in Georgia faces a lengthy prison sentence for the tragic death of her 3-year-old daughter, who died after being exposed to freezing conditions in the woods for nearly 12 hours along with her 7-year-old sibling.
On Thursday, Judge Deah B. Warren of the Douglas County Superior Court sentenced Uriha Faith Ridge to life in a state correctional facility, with the possibility of parole, following the heartbreaking death of young Alina Pascal, according to records.
Ridge admitted guilt to felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children related to her daughter’s death in January 2024.
Before Warren delivered her sentence, Senior Assistant District Attorney Victoria Hicks addressed the court regarding Ridge’s ongoing issues with parenting and the events that unfolded in the woods that fateful night, as reported by Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB.
Hicks shared that several years prior to Alina’s passing, Ridge was intoxicated at a nearby bowling alley, where she struck her 7-year-old child and let her then-1-year-old daughter Alina fall to the floor. Ridge faces charges of assault and child cruelty. After posting bond, she was released with conditions to avoid alcohol and attend parenting and substance abuse classes.
The prosecutor stated that on the night of Alina’s death, Ridge was under the influence of cocaine and marijuana when she led her children into the woods close to a Foxhall Resort. That night, temperatures fell significantly below freezing, with harsh conditions worsened by continuous rain.
Hicks shared a story about how Alina’s older brother attempted to assist his ailing sister in the face of harsh conditions.
“(Alina’s brother) described trying to warm his sister up by covering her with leaves,” Hicks told the court, per WSB. “The cause of death in this case was hypothermia. She froze to death.”
The following morning, a work crew discovered Ridge and the children, prompting the mother to inform authorities that they had gotten lost in the woods. Authorities later discovered that Ridge had a fully charged cellphone but did not try to call for assistance.
Reference: Mom who let toddler freeze to death in woods is sentenced