Admitted baby-tosser is arrested once again

A Minneapolis woman who skipped her sentencing for throwing her newborn into a snowbank was arrested Friday.

Ashley Renee Couch, 21, was tracked down by Hennepin County sheriff's deputies at a Minneapolis house and arrested without incident.

Couch pleaded guilty in April in Hennepin County District Court to child endangerment and neglect, a gross misdemeanor. Under terms of a plea deal, Couch agreed to serve three months in jail, with another nine months stayed for two years.

She was charged after the March 5 incident at 18th Street and 10th Avenue S. According to charges, Couch, who said she was upset with the baby's father for taking money from her house, chased him down the street that 16-degree morning. When she caught up with him, she "slammed" the 18-day-old baby into the snowbank, the baby's father told police. Charges say she told police the baby fell out of her hands. The baby is now in foster care.

Couch had served part of her anticipated sentence when she posted $3,000 bail April 18 under a number of conditions, including that she not contact the baby's father. Couch allegedly violated that condition. District Judge David Duffy ordered a revocation of conditional release last month. Couch was also the subject of an arrest warrant stemming from a family court matter.

She was scheduled for sentencing Thursday but did not show up for court. Couch is in the county jail in lieu of $6,000 bail. A sentencing date has not been rescheduled.

ABBY SIMONS