In the United States, a 70-year-old woman has been accused of attempting to exchange a child she adopted for an exotic animal, a monkey, to add to her collection of pets. According to Mirror, Brenda Deutsch allegedly exchanged a girl she adopted for a monkey in the state of Texas, and over the years mistreated other children she adopted or acted as a foster parent to.

Deutsch faces charges related to child abuse, neglect, and endangerment. While the police continue their investigation into the allegations, it is believed that she has been a foster parent to or adopted approximately 200 children for over a decade. Prosecutor Mike Wood stated that the woman subjected some of these children, including the girl in Texas, to physical and emotional abuse.

“Two eyewitnesses also support the allegations”
Prosecutor Wood, whose statements were featured on the KSDK news site in the US, pointed out that an eyewitness is aware of the systematic abuse that allegedly took place in the woman’s home and claimed to recognize the woman who is accused of exchanging a child for a monkey. Wood mentioned that at least two eyewitnesses provided testimonies supporting the claims.

Wood expressed, “As crazy as it may sound, we’ve had several human trafficking cases in the past. So, we are taking this seriously… There are at least two eyewitnesses who attest to the situation.”
The suspect, reported to be retired, faces charges of neglect, child abuse, and endangerment, with the prosecutor’s office stating that more charges are expected to be filed as the investigation progresses.

Wood also believed that there is a “systemic vulnerability” in the communication established with the Missouri Department of Social Services Child Division regarding the matter and stated that authorities will also look into this.