Rossville police arrested a woman Tuesday, Aug. 30, after an ongoing investigation revealed that the woman had been holding her elderly mother hostage and abusing her for more than eight months.

According to the Rossville Police Department:

Ruth Marie Gray, 38, of 1102 Lee Avenue Apt. B in Rossville was taken into custody a little after 5 p.m. Tuesday evening on charges of false imprisonment and battery as part of the Family Violence Act.

No bond has been set for Gray at this time. She remains in Walker County jail.

Gray’s mother, 67-year-old Betty Strickland, has been living with Gray and her boyfriend in a duplex on Lee Avenue in Rossville since December, which is when the alleged abuse is believed to have begun.

“Ms. Strickland’s husband passed away in December, at which time she moved in with her daughter, and gave her power of attorney over all her affairs,” said Rossville detective David Scroggins. “After she (Betty) moved in with her daughter, multiple family members began to express concerns about her well-being and stated that they weren’t being allowed to see her.”

Scroggins said a welfare visit then took place to examine the living arrangement and status of Strickland, at which time the investigation picked up.

“We went to the residence following the complaints by family members, and when we arrived at the duplex there were padlocks on the exterior of the home,” Scroggins said. “It took several visits before contact was made with Strickland or her daughter.”

On Thursday, Aug. 25, Scroggins says that contact was made with Strickland, and that medical personnel was called to the residence.

“When we spoke with Ms. Strickland she had a big black eye, and she claimed that her daughter had hit her in the face, and had done so over time while she had been living there,” Scroggins said. “Medics were called to the duplex, and Ms. Strickland was taken to Hutcheson Medical Center for evaluation.”

Strickland was in the hospital for several hours before being released, at which time she left the hospital with another one of her daughters.

“I am not certain of the arrangement at this time, but it is my understanding that she has been with her other daughter since we removed her from the duplex several days ago,” Scroggins said. “It’s a different situation with adults than it is with children. If children are removed from a home they are placed in state care. Adults that are coherent and cognizant are free to make their own decisions as a long as they aren’t perceived to be a danger to themselves or society.”