ALIQUIPPA, Pa. — A 13-year-old Pittsburgh-area girl who was reported missing early last month spent time with adult inmates at a Pennsylvania jail after she lied to authorities about her age and identity following a shoplifting arrest, a prosecutor said.
Someone at the Beaver County jail eventually recognized the girl as a missing person, leading officials to separate her from the jail’s adult population, Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible said Tuesday. The teen’s parents were then notified and they picked her up, and the charges against her were moved to juvenile court, he said.
Pittsburgh police posted information about the missing teenager on Aug. 6, and subsequent reports said she had been seen in the city and riding on public transportation.
The girl was charged with retail theft after she was caught stealing items from a store in Beaver Falls on Aug. 17, Bible said. At the time, she gave police a false name and birthdate that led authorities to believe she was 18.
The teen eventually told officers on several occasions that she was a juvenile from the Pittsburgh area, and they told her they would release her to her parents. However, the girl falsely told them she was homeless, Bible said.
During this time, Beaver Falls police contacted child services agencies in Beaver County and Allegheny County — where Pittsburgh is located — to try to find information about her, but since she had given authorities a fake name no records were found, said Bible, who didn’t note how many days she spent with the jail’s adult population.
A shocking case has recently come to light in which a missing 13-year-old girl was found in an adult jail after providing false information about her identity and age. The prosecutor revealed that the young girl had been missing for several days before being located in the jail, where she had been mistakenly placed due to the misinformation she had provided.
According to reports, the girl had run away from home and ended up in the adult jail after being picked up by law enforcement officers. When asked for her name and age, she provided false information in an attempt to avoid being sent back home. As a result, she was processed as an adult and placed in the jail with other inmates.
The prosecutor in charge of the case expressed shock and concern over the situation, stating that it was highly unusual for a minor to end up in an adult jail due to false information provided about their age. The prosecutor also emphasized the importance of accurate identification and verification of age in such cases to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The girl has since been removed from the adult jail and reunited with her family. However, questions remain about how she was able to provide false information about her identity and age without being properly verified by authorities. The incident has raised concerns about the need for improved protocols and procedures for handling missing minors and ensuring their safety and well-being.
In light of this case, it is crucial for law enforcement agencies and other relevant authorities to review and strengthen their protocols for identifying and verifying the age of missing minors. Proper training and procedures should be put in place to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future and to ensure the safety and well-being of all individuals, especially vulnerable minors.
Overall, this case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of accurate identification and verification of age in cases involving missing minors. It highlights the need for improved protocols and procedures to prevent such incidents from occurring and to ensure the safety and well-being of all individuals, particularly those who are most vulnerable.
