US woman arrested after allegedly exchanging adopted daughter for monkey

A 70-year-old resident of the U.S. state of Missouri, Brenda Deutsch, who had fostered more than 200 children over the years, has become the centre of a major scandal.

According to prosecutors, she sent her teenage adopted daughter to Texas without approval from state authorities, Daily Mail reports.

The case came to light after a school district began investigating the girl’s prolonged absence. The inquiry revealed that the child had been moved between several guardians and ultimately ended up in a household unable to provide proper care. She was reportedly left responsible for adults with disabilities and often unsupervised.

The girl told investigators she had suffered years of physical abuse from her adoptive mother, including beatings, threats, and humiliation. The case gained further attention after a witness claimed that Deutsch had exchanged the child for a monkey.

Prosecutors noted that complaints about the woman had been filed for years, but a criminal investigation was only launched recently. She now faces up to seven years in prison, with sentencing expected in July 2026. She is also involved in a separate financial crimes case.