Georgia mother sentenced to life in prison after 3-year-old girl freezes to death in the woods

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. – A Douglas County mother will spend the rest of her life in prison after her three-year-old daughter froze to death in the woods while allegedly high on drugs.

On October 17, 36-year-old Uriha Ridge pleaded guilty to murder, first-degree cruelty to children, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and public intoxication.

Officials say Ridge called 911 on Jan. 16, 2024, saying she, her 3-year-old daughter Alina and her 7-year-old son were lost in the woods at Foxhall Resort.

As officers rushed to the scene, resort workers found the family outside a trail. The 3-year-old girl was found unconscious while lying face down in the mud, almost with her mother and sibling. Officials say both children were soaked and “wearing light and inadequate clothing.” The weather forecast for that night showed a low of 27 degrees.

The workers returned Ridge and the children to the lodge and medics took the family to Douglas Wellstar Hospital. Alina died in the hospital of hypothermia. The 7-year-old was transported to Eglestone Hospital and treated for hypothermia.

Uriha Ridge (credit: Douglas County Sheriff’s Office)

After recovering, the child told investigators that he and his sister had been in the forest all night and that he had tried to warm the girl by covering her with leaves.

“He also reported that they told their mother several times that they were cold, but she told them to be quiet,” the Douglas County Prosecutor’s Office said. “Additionally, he told police that his sister’s breathing started sounding funny right before they were found.”

Officials allege Ridge used cocaine and marijuana before heading into the wilderness that night. She claimed she was lost, but officers say they discovered not only was she carrying a phone, but it was charged.

“The loss of this young child is devastatingly tragic and completely avoidable. Our hearts break for what she and her brother went through. Today her mother was held accountable. We hope others will avoid the toxic mix of drugs, alcohol and indifference that led to this great loss,” said District Attorney Dalia Racine.

MORE: Grandparents speak out after Douglas County mother accused of killing toddler while ‘lost’ in woods

Following her guilty plea, a judge sentenced Ridge to life in prison.

Grandparents remember Alina Ridge as ‘fashionista’

Grandparents Terry and Donya Ridge remembered 3-year-old Alina as a cheerful and smart “fashionista” who looked up to her older brother.

“She had a beautiful singing voice and she loved to show off her clothes,” Terry Ridge told FOX 5.

When she heard the news of her granddaughter’s death, Donya Ridge said her first reaction was “like a total failure.”

“We tried so hard not to get to this point and to know that that happened was terribly, terribly devastating,” she said.

She says the situation is “difficult” because she still loves her daughter, despite what Uriah Ridge is accused of doing.

“It’s hard because I still love my daughter. I always will,” Donya Ridge said. “You feel a little bit of regret or the unpreparedness.”

Uriha Ridge’s history of child abuse allegations, previous arrests

The FOX 5 I-Team learned that this wasn’t Ridge’s first run-in with the law over child abuse allegations. In November 2022, she was charged with assault and cruelty to children and released on bail.

According to the warrant, officers were called to a bowling alley after witnesses said they heard Ridge’s oldest children calling for help and saw her slump into a chair. When a witness went to Ridge and asked if she could help, officials said she refused to answer and dragged Aline, who was just 2 years old at the time, into a toilet, dropping her in the process.

“The witness followed them to the restroom and asked Ridge to please let the children go where she could help them,” the prosecutor said. “The witness saw Ridge punch the older child in the face and the back of the neck while yelling and cursing at them. Ridge also picked up the child and held him against the wall.”

Investigators say the older child told them Ridge hit them in the head and noticed redness on their jaw and the back of the neck.

A day after Alina’s death, the public prosecutor asked for that bond to be revoked. FOX 5 dug into court documents detailing those 2022 terms and court records show those provisions required her not to drink alcohol, live in her mother’s home and take both parenting and alcohol classes once a month. In those documents, prosecutors say she provided no proof of attendance.