The grandmother of a Demorest girl who went missing over the weekend has been charged with first-degree cruelty to children. Habersham Sheriff’s deputies arrested Leah Kunkle, 64, following an investigation into alleged abuse.
Kunkle’s 12-year-old granddaughter Sabrinah Lundy ran away from her grandmother’s residence on Twisting Ridge Trail in Demorest on Friday after the two got into an argument, officials say.
An uncle reported the girl missing.
Multiple law enforcement agencies, including K9s and State Patrol helicopters, assisted in the weekend-long search for the girl. Citizens spotted her early Sunday, February 28, walking through a wooded area behind a church in Demorest.
Habersham’s Special Victims Unit Patrol Task Force arranged for a forensic interview with The Power House child advocacy group in Toccoa. “As a result of the forensic interview, a medical evaluation, and follow-up interviews with the grandmother and other members of the family, patrol task force investigators determined that the argument also included excessive physical abuse,” says Habersham Sheriff’s Lt. Matthew Wurtz.
Sabrinah was turned over to the custody of the Department of Family and Children Services.
In addition to the felony cruelty charge, deputies charged Kunkle with maintaining a disorderly house. As of Monday morning, she remained in the Habersham County jail on a $17,800 bond.
