A 13-year-old Pittsburgh-area girl who disappeared last month was found in a Pennsylvania jail after lying to police about her age and identity after being arrested for shoplifting, a prosecutor said.
Tabitha Clark went missing on August 2, but just two weeks later she was found incarcerated at the Beaver Country Jail, which is reserved for adult inmates.
According to Beaver County Prosecutor Nate Bibel, someone recognized her as the missing girl.
Pittsburgh police had released information about the missing teenager on August 6, and subsequent reports indicated she had been seen around the city and traveling on public transportation.
The girl’s parents were later notified and picked her up, and the charges against her were transferred to juvenile court, Bible said.
Police were searching for the missing teenager. He had been caught on CCTV several times after her disappearance
Tabitha was charged with retail theft after she was caught stealing items from a Beaver Falls store on Aug. 17, he said.
At the time, she gave police a false name and date of birth that led authorities to believe she was 18.
The teen eventually repeatedly told officers she was a minor from the Pittsburgh area, and they told her they would return her to her parents.
However, the girl falsely told them she was homeless, Bible said.
Meanwhile, Beaver Falls police contacted child services agencies in Beaver County and Allegheny County — where Pittsburgh is located — to try to find information on her, but because she had given authorities a false name, no records were found, Bible said.
It is unclear how many days she spent with the prison’s adult population.
https://www.theforgegastown.ca/2024/09/05/lido-pnto/JEB241208MI29OD47.html
