A Pennsylvania mom has been arrested after she allegedly left her 4-year-old autistic son on the floor for 24 hours after he died — even sending a photo of him to relatives before she called 911.
Authorities announced that Amie Marie Ruleman was taken into custody and charged with one count of felony endangering the welfare of a child in connection with her son’s death.
Officers with the Waynesboro Police Department responded to the home shortly after 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, after they received a report of an unresponsive child, according to Penn Live.
Ruleman called 911 and told the dispatcher that she found her son kneeling on the floor around 11 a.m. with his hand resting on a chair. She said she initially assumed he was sleeping, though she found that he was unconscious and not breathing when she checked on him again a few hours later.
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The child was pronounced dead when investigators arrived at the scene, with them noting that he appeared to have been dead for quite some time, according to WHTM.
While speaking to investigators, Ruleman initially said her son had been sick since Easter Sunday and had been suffering from stomach issues and vomiting. She also said that she gave him Tylenol on the morning he died. Ruleman said that her son was autistic and nonverbal, though he had no other known health conditions.
However, police quickly learned she was not truthful as the investigation continued.
Ruleman later revised her statement and told investigators she saw her son kneeling on the floor around 4 a.m. and that she went back to bed instead of checking on him. She said she woke up hours later and found him in the same position, which was when she took a photo of him and sent it to a family member. She then admitted to spending more than an hour in the bathroom before she tried to wake him.
It wasn’t until she found him cold to the touch that she called 911.
Medical evidence contradicted her account, with the Franklin County coroner determining that the boy had likely died more than 24 hours before she called 911. The coroner also found signs of malnourishment and said the child only weighed 25 pounds, according to WGAL.
Authorities said the home was in disarray and there was drug paraphernalia visible in areas the son could have accessed.
Ruleman allegedly admitted to investigators that she had missed at least five of her son’s doctor appointments over the past two years but reportedly had no explanation for missing them.
A Michigan mother is accused of abandoning her two small children with special needs inside her home where they were left to endure “filth, hunger, and fear” for days, according to police. After a neighbor called 911 asking for a welfare check, Flint Township police arrived at the home of Krystal Farmer on Wednesday, February […]
“Based on the evidence gathered, including the child’s physical condition, the inconsistencies in the timeline provided by Amie Ruleman, the presence of controlled substances and drug paraphernalia within the residence, and Ruleman’s own admissions regarding her failure to seek medical care for her son, there is sufficient probable cause to believe that Ruleman’s actions and neglect contributed to the condition of her child,” prosecutors said in charging documents.
Ruleman was given a $1 million bond and is currently being held at the Franklin County Prison. She is scheduled to make her first court appearance on April 21.
It is not currently clear if Ruleman has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest. The Waynesboro Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment.
