A woman who police said took her 3-year-old daughter after making threats to harm the child, triggering an AMBER Alert, has been charged with attempted murder in the case, state police said. A relative of Ella Abbott, 3, contacted Worcester police Wednesday night after hearing Lee-Ann Abbott Rickheit, 38, make threats on the phone that she was going to harm the child and herself, state police said. Police said state troopers from the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section located Rickheit's car in the woods in Charlton early Thursday morning. The woman and child were in the car, the car was running and the tailpipe had been stuffed with clothing, blocking the exhaust.Troopers said the pair were either sleeping or unconscious in the car. They smashed the car's windows to get the woman and child out. The child was transported to UMass Medical Center for examination.Rickheit was arraigned Thursday on charges of attempted murder, assault and battery on a child, and reckless endangerment of a child. She was held on $500,000 bail. The location where troopers found the car is on the backside of a pond located through the woods behind the Country Store on Stafford Street. Troopers said Rickheit frequented that area and often slept in her car there.

A woman who police said took her 3-year-old daughter after making threats to harm the child, triggering an AMBER Alert, has been charged with attempted murder in the case, state police said.

A relative of Ella Abbott, 3, contacted Worcester police Wednesday night after hearing Lee-Ann Abbott Rickheit, 38, make threats on the phone that she was going to harm the child and herself, state police said.




Police said state troopers from the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section located Rickheit's car in the woods in Charlton early Thursday morning. The woman and child were in the car, the car was running and the tailpipe had been stuffed with clothing, blocking the exhaust.



Troopers said the pair were either sleeping or unconscious in the car. They smashed the car's windows to get the woman and child out.

The child was transported to UMass Medical Center for examination.



Rickheit was arraigned Thursday on charges of attempted murder, assault and battery on a child, and reckless endangerment of a child. She was held on $500,000 bail.



The location where troopers found the car is on the backside of a pond located through the woods behind the Country Store on Stafford Street. Troopers said Rickheit frequented that area and often slept in her car there.