The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Melissa Ann Ringhardt, of Orange. The Orange County Sheriff's Office filed the warrant for motion to revoke probation for endangering a child.

This is not a new endangering a child case. This is a violation of the probation she received from the court for the original offense that occurred in October 2013.The warrant was issued for her arrest on June 25, when she failed to follow the conditions of her probation.

Ringhardt was the babysitter who left a loaded gun accessible to five year old John Read who shot himself and died as a result on Oct. 21, 2013. Ringhardt reached a plea agreement on the case and was sentenced with probation by the court.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has attempted to locate Ringhardt without success so far. It is believed she could be in the Dallas area, but she has yet to be located.