FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A 30-year-old mother — who has been in and out of jail for years in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties — was at the Broward main jail on Friday in Fort Lauderdale.
Ashly Marie Kestler, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, has a record that includes drug paraphernalia, cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol. She has never been in prison but may be running out of chances.
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About three years ago, Kestler, then 27, made headlines when police officers found her crying 7-month-old baby girl bleeding outside of her car — near the car’s tire in Plantation.
According to the arrest form, Kestler was passed out in the car near a loaded gun and a half-empty bottle of Hennessey. She had already been arrested for criminal mischief in Palm Beach. She had also been arrested after a police pursuit in Miami-Dade.
In 2022, Kestler was sentenced to a three-year probation for child neglect in Broward. According to the Florida Department of Corrections, her probation was supposed to end on Feb. 3, 2025. But earlier this year, Broward prosecutors filed a new case against her.
According to an arrest form, Kestler called 911 on Feb. 12 to report someone had “drilled up through the floor of the hotel room” in Deerfield Beach and shot a gun twice.
Deputies reported finding Kestler near drugs, pieces of tin foil with burnt spots on the sink — and hallucinating. Prosecutors filed the case, and a judge placed her on pre-trial services on Valentine’s Day.
Kestler, who reported her home is in Boca Raton, was facing charges of possession of cathinone, possession of oxycodone, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
According to Kamilah Ragoo, a pre-trial services specialist, Kestler violated the program when she tested positive for oxycodone on Tuesday, records show.
Broward County Circuit Judge Andrew Siegel revoked her pre-trial release, and deputies arrested her on Thursday. Corrections was holding her without bond.
For substance use disorder treatment referrals, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration hotline at 1-800-662-4357 or 1-800-487-4889.
Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editor Kelly Davis contributed to this report.