A woman formerly from Penn Yan has been arrested on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges following a child abandonment investigation that began more than two years ago.
Penn Yan Police report that 43-year-old Ashley Montgomery of Syracuse, formerly of Penn Yan, was taken into custody on an arrest warrant charging her with abandonment of a child, criminal mischief in the second degree, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, endangering the welfare of a child, and abandonment of animals.
The charges stem from a September 2023 incident in which police responded to a village residence after a concerned citizen reported suspicious circumstances.
Officers say they found a 13-year-old child living alone after Montgomery allegedly abandoned the child for nearly two weeks. Investigators say Montgomery left the child with two dogs and no money or resources, then fled to Syracuse. The residence was found to be uninhabitable and was later condemned by Code Enforcement.
Child Protective Services responded, and the child was removed to a safe location. Police say the child was unharmed. The two dogs were taken by Animal Control and later re-homed.
Police presented the case to the Yates County District Attorney’s Office, which resulted in a grand jury indictment.
Authorities say Montgomery failed to respond to multiple attempts to contact her and could not be located, even with help from other law enforcement agencies. After a “wanted” poster was widely circulated, Montgomery turned herself in to Penn Yan Police.
She was processed at the Penn Yan Police Department and is being held at the Yates County Jail pending arraignment in Yates County Criminal Court.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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