A Missouri woman accused of trading her foster child for an exotic monkey has been arrested.
Brenda Ruth Deutsch, 70, of Lincoln County, was arrested on three felony counts of neglect, child abuse and child endangering stemming from initial allegations of a missing child who was later located in Texas, Missouri prosecutors announced Sunday.
Lincoln County Prosecutor Mike Wood told NBC News in a phone call Wednesday that Deutsch, who he said has fostered more than 200 children for about 15 to 20 years, is also being investigated in connection with allegations that she traded the child for a monkey.
"At least two witnesses have come forward with information regarding the transportation of the monkey back to Missouri after the child was delivered," Wood said. "But we will have to further investigate whether that was actually a trade for the child or if it was something that does not rise to the level of any type of trafficking."
An attorney for Deutsch was not listed in court documents.
Lincoln County Sheriff Rick Harrell said his office was aware of the allegations about the transaction but would not comment further. He and Wood confirmed that authorities found a handful of monkeys at Deutsch's home.
Before Deutsch's arrest, 200 or more hotline calls were made to the Missouri Department of Social Services’ Children’s Division, the state’s child protective services agency, about activity at Deutsch’s home, Wood added.
The Department of Social Services did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Between September 2022 and January, Deutsch struck the child in the face, which resulted in bleeding, a complaint filed Monday alleges. The child's age is unclear, but court records indicate she is a teenager younger than 17.
Deutsch is alleged to have used a paddle, wooden trim, shoes and an open hand to abuse the teenager, according to a probable cause statement the sheriff’s office filed Monday. The statement added that Deutsch also gave away the teen's clothes as a form of punishment.
Court records say Deutsch sent the teenager "to live at a house in Texas with unsanitary living conditions and without adequate supervision" from Jan. 1 to April 1.
Wood added that Deutsch and the Texas resident, whom he would not name, knew each other through their shared interest in collecting exotic animals.
At times, the teen was left alone at the Texas home to take care of exotic animals living there, according to the documents. Wood said there is no information to suggest the girl was abused in Texas.
"It was described to me early on was that the defendant here, Brendan Deutsch, became frustrated with this individual child and asked her friend in Texas if she would just take the child and keep her," Wood said. "And at that point I think is when she says, 'You know, why don't you send a monkey and you can just keep the child?'"
Wood said authorities are investigating the Texas resident, who he said has not been arrested or charged. He added that when authorities in Texas first approached her about the child, she lied to them about the child's whereabouts.
Child protective services removed the child from the Texas home in April.
The Eastland County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office, which helped authorities in Missouri, according to court documents, did not comment on the case.
Wood said that since prosecutors announced the charges, others who claim Deutsch fostered them have stepped forwarding accusing her of similar abuse.
"This has to be the potential to be an egregious human trafficking case," he said. "Or, at bare minimum, it certainly is a very disheartening and disturbing abuse and neglect case."
He added that he expects more charges will be announced.
A teenage boy whom Deutsch was fostering when she was arrested was taken into custody by child protective services, Wood said.
Deutsch's bond has been set for $250,000.
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Brenda Ruth Deutsch, 70, of Lincoln County, was arrested on three felony counts of neglect, child abuse and child endangering stemming from initial allegations of a missing child who was later located in Texas, Missouri prosecutors announced Sunday.
Lincoln County Prosecutor Mike Wood told NBC News in a phone call Wednesday that Deutsch, who he said has fostered more than 200 children for about 15 to 20 years, is also being investigated in connection with allegations that she traded the child for a monkey.
"At least two witnesses have come forward with information regarding the transportation of the monkey back to Missouri after the child was delivered," Wood said. "But we will have to further investigate whether that was actually a trade for the child or if it was something that does not rise to the level of any type of trafficking."
An attorney for Deutsch was not listed in court documents.
Lincoln County Sheriff Rick Harrell said his office was aware of the allegations about the transaction but would not comment further. He and Wood confirmed that authorities found a handful of monkeys at Deutsch's home.
Before Deutsch's arrest, 200 or more hotline calls were made to the Missouri Department of Social Services’ Children’s Division, the state’s child protective services agency, about activity at Deutsch’s home, Wood added.
The Department of Social Services did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Between September 2022 and January, Deutsch struck the child in the face, which resulted in bleeding, a complaint filed Monday alleges. The child's age is unclear, but court records indicate she is a teenager younger than 17.
Deutsch is alleged to have used a paddle, wooden trim, shoes and an open hand to abuse the teenager, according to a probable cause statement the sheriff’s office filed Monday. The statement added that Deutsch also gave away the teen's clothes as a form of punishment.
Court records say Deutsch sent the teenager "to live at a house in Texas with unsanitary living conditions and without adequate supervision" from Jan. 1 to April 1.
Wood added that Deutsch and the Texas resident, whom he would not name, knew each other through their shared interest in collecting exotic animals.
At times, the teen was left alone at the Texas home to take care of exotic animals living there, according to the documents. Wood said there is no information to suggest the girl was abused in Texas.
"It was described to me early on was that the defendant here, Brendan Deutsch, became frustrated with this individual child and asked her friend in Texas if she would just take the child and keep her," Wood said. "And at that point I think is when she says, 'You know, why don't you send a monkey and you can just keep the child?'"
Wood said authorities are investigating the Texas resident, who he said has not been arrested or charged. He added that when authorities in Texas first approached her about the child, she lied to them about the child's whereabouts.
Child protective services removed the child from the Texas home in April.
The Eastland County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office, which helped authorities in Missouri, according to court documents, did not comment on the case.
Wood said that since prosecutors announced the charges, others who claim Deutsch fostered them have stepped forwarding accusing her of similar abuse.
"This has to be the potential to be an egregious human trafficking case," he said. "Or, at bare minimum, it certainly is a very disheartening and disturbing abuse and neglect case."
He added that he expects more charges will be announced.
A teenage boy whom Deutsch was fostering when she was arrested was taken into custody by child protective services, Wood said.
Deutsch's bond has been set for $250,000.
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