Overview

• Joanna Sherry Rutledge, 45, was arrested and charged in 3rd District Court with child abandonment and aggravated child abuse, plus reckless endangerment.
• Deputies say the case began Sept. 18 when the child called family saying she was starving and extremely thirsty before officers found her dirty, underdressed and dehydrated.
• An officer provided a gallon of water that the girl drank quickly, and a doctor warned that one or two more days without water could have caused serious injury or death.
• A Sept. 24 search warrant at the campsite documented three trailers littered with dog feces, urine and garbage, with dogs and puppies living inside.
• Court documents allege the mother often left the girl alone for long periods, returned intoxicated or high on methamphetamine, was at times violent, and had not ensured schooling for several years.