She was arrested for store theft: 13-year-old girl placed in jail with adults

Une jeune fille de 13 ans derrière les barreaux avec des adultes. (Illustration) Emiliano Bar sur Unsplash

A 13-year-old girl had been missing for several weeks in the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. The teenager was found in an adult prison after lying about her identity to the police.

Not far from Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, a 13-year-old girl had been missing since the beginning of August, and calls for witnesses had even been launched, the police note. But the young girl was finally found, surprisingly, in an adult prison, reports AP News.

Lies

She had been wanted for several weeks, but the teenager was arrested after a robbery in a Beaver Falls store on August 17. But instead of giving the correct information about herself – such as her name, first name, age – she preferred to lie, which would change everything.

The police officers then think that she is an adult and therefore place her in prison alongside the adults. However, the young girl changes her story and claims to be a minor and that she is from Pittsburgh. Problem, when the police contact the relevant children's service, they find no trace of the teenager since the latter lied about her age.

She was finally separated from the adult detainees, however, the prosecutor did not specify the number of days she spent with them. She was released and returned to her parents. Regarding her theft case, “the charges against her were transferred to the juvenile court”, relates AP.