A missing 13-year-old girl was discovered in an adult-only prison after deceiving police about her age and identity.
The teenager was apprehended for shoplifting at a Dollar General store in Beaver Falls on August 18.
When questioned by police, she provided a false name and age.
This misled officials into believing she was 18, resulting in her being detained in an adult facility for her alleged crime.
Eventually, the girl confessed she was a local teenager, but her deceptions did not end there.
After police informed her she would be released to her parents, the 13-year-old claimed to be homeless.
Officials at the prison noticed the girl’s resemblance to a missing person, which led to her release from the adult section of Beaver County jail, officials said.
Attorney Nate Bible announced on Tuesday, September 3, that the teen’s parents were informed that she is safe and well.
However, her parents were undoubtedly shocked to learn where the police eventually found her.
The girl’s parents retrieved her from the prison, with the shoplifting charges now transferred to a juvenile court.
Bible stated: “It was either a jail employee or an inmate who saw the photo of this juvenile as a missing person and recognized her as being housed in the Beaver County jail.”
“Immediately, the deputy warden isolated the juvenile to keep her by herself. They contacted her parents, and her parents came and picked her up.”
The police faced some criticism for not identifying the girl’s fake identity and age during her arrest.
Bible defended law enforcement, saying: “The officers did everything right and this happens quite frequently where they get a fake name or birthday from people who have warrants in different counties or different states.”
“They can’t just let her go because they can’t figure out who she is. I mean she did commit a crime.”
Pittsburgh Police had posted missing person information about the girl on August 6.
The Associated Press reported the girl had apparently been seen in the city using public transport.