A Pennsylvania woman has been arrested after she allegedly abducted a toddler girl on Saturday.
According to Action 4 News, 25-year-old Sharena Islam Nancy has been charged with concealment of whereabouts of a child, interference with custody, and kidnapping. Police detained Nancy on Saturday night after the 1-year-old Nalani Johnson’s father reported her missing.
The father reportedly told authorities that he was getting a ride from Nancy, an Uber driver, on Saturday, and had his daughter with him. When he got out of the car, Nancy allegedly sped away with the child still inside.
Court documents indicate that the suspect told police that Nalani’s father asked her to drive the little girl “20 minutes from a gas station in Monroeville along U.S. Route 22,” where someone would pick the girl up. The suspect allegedly said the girl’s father explained he sold his daughter for $10,000.
NOW: Police say Johnson was abducted by Sharena Islam Nancy, a 25-year-old Indian American female with black hair and brown eyes. Nancy is driving a Black 2017 Toyota Prius bearing Pa Registration KLW3926. The Vehicle has an Uber sticker in front passenger side window #wtae pic.twitter.com/dhbcWgR8mZ
— Katelyn Sykes (@KatelynsWTAE) September 1, 2019
Nancy claimed that she dropped Nalani off with an unknown person in a silver SUV with an out-of-state license plate, according to court documents. She said she handed the girl over to an unnamed black female and left.
Police have found no evidence yet of an SUV meeting Nancy at the gas station.
The father’s family insisted on Saturday that Nancy kidnapped the child.
“She was in a car seat in the back and he went around to get the car seat out with his daughter. And at the time he had his hand on the door and she drove off,” Nalani’s grandfather, Paul Johnson, told News 11.
Police said the child’s father was “crying and visibly upset” when he reported his little girl missing, CBS Chicago reports.
Police found Nancy’s car off of Rodi Road in Penn Hills on Saturday evening, but the little girl was not with her. Investigators said prior to finding Nancy, she traveled in her black Toyota Yaris, with PA plate KLW3926, to the areas of Blairsville, New Alexandria, and Delmont in Westmoreland County, between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Authorities questioned Nancy at the Penn Hills Police Department on Saturday, but she was initially uncooperative.
No one else has been charged at this time. The girl’s family members were questioned by Penn Hills detectives and subsequently released.
An arrest has been made in the #kidnapping of 2 year old #NalaniJohnson who is missing out of #Pennsylvania. Nalani has still not been found. #AMBERALERT https://t.co/4joiTP2D9q pic.twitter.com/PgSZVdhF64
— Missing Pieces Network (@Network4Missing) September 2, 2019
Meanwhile, Nalani remains missing.
Nalani is described as a black female with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen at the intersection of Bryant and Clay Drives in Penn Hills. She was wearing a black shirt, black sandals, and a floral-designed skirt.
Allegheny County police said Nalani is of “average height and weight” for a female of her age. Nalani is a few weeks shy of her 2nd birthday.
Anyone with information on the case should contact the Allegheny County Police Tipline at 1-833-ALL-TIPS (1-833-255-8477).
Police said the Uber driver is not a relative of the child, although she may have known some of her family members.
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[Feature Photo: Nalani Johnson/Police Handout]
