Ryanne Elizabeth Foster (Craighead County Detention Center)
A 21-year-old mother in Arkansas won't serve any time after abusing her 6-month-old baby so severely that doctors said the child's injuries were akin to being in a "very bad car accident."
Ryanne Foster, of Jonesboro, pleaded guilty this week to second-degree battery and was sentenced to 36 months of probation, according to local media outlet Jonesboro Right Now.
Foster has been ordered to stay away from her child and must obtain a GED while on probation. If she violates the terms of her plea deal, she will face up to six years in prison, Jonesboro Right Now reports.
As previously reported by Law&Crime, prosecutors had accused Foster of abusing her child in July 2024 after officers with the Jonesboro Police Department responded to a call regarding an infant being hospitalized with traumatic injuries. The baby had been admitted to St. Bernards Hospital, but due to the severity of the baby's condition, they were transported to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, for more specialized care.
At the hospital, police spoke to Foster and her husband about the circumstances that led to their infant's injuries. The parents explained that the child had been born prematurely and suffered seizures since returning from the neonatal intensive care unit, according to court documents.
The father allegedly noted that the seizures took place when he was not with Foster and the baby, and that each time the seizures occurred, Foster refused to seek medical attention.
Prosecutors and police said the father claimed Foster did not have an emotional connection with the child and repeatedly referred to them as "a potato" and "sack of flour," Jonesboro Right Now reports.
Foster alleged that her baby's injuries occurred during the most recent seizure, which ended with the child falling from the couch. Police noted that the couch Foster claimed the infant fell from was no higher than her knee.
Doctors who treated the child told investigators the infant was suffering from "mixed bleeding on the right and left brain, micro-bruising on the front and back brain" as well as arm and leg fractures.
"When I asked the doctor about what could cause injuries like this in a 6-month-old child, I was told that it would have to be a very bad car accident or physical abuse," police wrote in a probable cause affidavit.
During the investigation, the child's father told police he had left Foster and moved out of the home, explaining he was afraid that if he and the baby stayed with her then the infant "could wind up dead," local television station KAIT reported.
Referencing the "sack of flour" and "potato" statements, the father said Foster had more of an emotional connection "to their dog than baby."
Jerry Lambe contributed to this report.
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