A Valley Grande woman is facing child abandonment charges after her teenage niece ran away from home.

Eddy Rasberry, 49, 10315 County Road 37, Valley Grande, was arrested Friday for child abandonment after refusing to accept her 16-year-old niece, who she has custody of, back into her home.

Rasberry rejected the child Thursday when law enforcement attempted to return the minor back to the Rasberry after they found the runaway at a friend’s home.

“We were kind of shocked that it happened since she was the legal guardian without having some prior problems with the child reported to us,” said Chief Deputy Randy Pugh, with Dallas County Sheriff’s Department. “The child seemed to be fine as far as school and stuff.”

The victim ran away Monday because she could not get along with her aunt, Pugh said.

When Rasberry arrived at the department as requested, Sgt. John Hatfield with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department told Rasberry multiple times she must accept the child because Judge Bob Armstrong issued a juvenile petition stating the runaway should be released back to the guardian when she has been located.

Rasberry did not give a detailed reason for not allowing the child to return home, according to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department.

“I have two children, and I don’t guess I could imagine that, but I guess she was upset about the child’s actions,” Hatfield said.

The child has been turned in to Department of Human Resources.

As of Monday morning, a bond hearing has not been scheduled for Rasberry, Pugh said.

Pugh said the department is continuing to investigate the case to gather more details, such the nature of the relationship between Rasberry and her niece.