Ostrander couple jailed after disturbing discovery

On November 17, 2016 a Fillmore County Probation Officer contacted Ostrander Police Chief Tom Mosher regarding one Ryan Robert Rechtzigel, 36, of Ostrander. Among the concerns were that for Rechtzigel’s five-year-old child, who hadn’t been seen at Rechtzigel’s wedding to Angela Lynn Stewart, 31, of Ostrander. Mosher made some calls. Acquiantances of the couple said they hadn’t seen the five-year-old in some time. The child had been taken out of school with plans to “home school”. Probation officers arranged a meeting with Rechtzigel. He tested positive for meth at the conference. Chief Mosher and the probation officers then went to Rechtzigel’s residence in Ostrander on a probation visit. They found Stewart and the couple’s two youngest children (one 2 years old, one 7 months old) on the main floor. On the upper floor, concealed behind a one-way (in-only) piece of plywood, they found the five-year-old confined to a room. The child was happy to see Mosher. The upstairs was considerably colder. The child was just in pajamas. There were no other clothes, no blankets, no toys, and a broken sofa with no cushions. The child had multiple physical injuries and scars. Social Services were called to take in the children. Rechtizgel and later, Stewart (who admitted to doing meth recently), were taken into custody. Inspection of the house revealed meth and methamphetamine paraphernalia. Cell phones of the couple were confiscated. They revealed videos and pictures of the five-year-old (among other things) being forced to do (weighted) deep-knee bends and of the five-year-old with feces on its face and torso. Texts revealed (among other things) vulgar language toward the child, comments referencing making the child “eat (expletive),” references of putting the child in “jail” and “lockdown” (confinement in the upstairs room). It was also made known that the child was left alone for six hours while Rechtzigel and Stewart got married. It was made known that the couple were limiting how much the child ate (one meal a day at times). There was admission of hitting (spanking and slapping) the child. Rechtzigel and Stewart are facing a wide range of felony charges, from Neglect of a Child, Malicious Punishment of a Child, and False Imprisonment, to Assault, as well as multiple Drug charges. They are being held at the Fillmore County Jail.