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Woman Charged With Kidnapping Missing 2-Year-Old Claims Dad Sold Her For $10K – An Allegation His Family Strongly Denies
Nalani Johnson, 2, remains missing despite the arrest of Sharena Nancy, who claims she gave the child to two unidentified women.
A woman behind bars for allegedly kidnapping a 2-year-old girl claims the child's father sold her for $10,000 - an allegation his family vehemently denies. Meanwhile, the girl is still missing despite the woman's arrest.
Sharena Nancy, 25, is accused of driving off with 2-year-old Nalani Johnson Saturday after giving a ride to the girl's father Paul Johnson, the child and a friend.
However, she claims she was merely following directions given to her by Nalani’s father, according to court records obtained by WTAE in Pittsburgh. She accuses the Paul Johnson of selling the toddler to "an unnamed individual" for $10,000 and says that she was asked to be the courier, driving the child to a road where she handed her off to two women in an SUV with an out-of-state license plate.
Johnson says he called police immediately after Nancy drove off with Nalani; he hasn't been charged with any crime.
“We don’t know her personally,” Paul Johnson’s mother Taji Walsh told KDKA, referencing Nancy. “The things that she indicated in her arrest record, which is public knowledge, are unfounded.”
The FBI is asking the public for help locating Johnson. Police are also asking the public to look out for the child car seat that the child was in. Officials say it was no longer in Nancy’s car when she was arrested.
Nancy faces kidnapping of a minor, interference with custody of children and concealment of whereabouts of a child charges, according to online jail records.
While Paul said that Nancy had both a Lyft and Uber sticker on her car, Uber put out a statement saying that nobody with Nancy’s name conducted any Uber rides over the weekend. Lyft also said the incident did not occur on their platform.
Evy Grandinetti, mother of the missing girl, put out a statement addressing rumors saying "if you aren't helping in any shape or form or feel the need to talk about how bad a mother I am, then you can surely come help look for my child," KDKA reports.
The missing girl is described as African-American with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen at the intersection of Bryant and Clay Drives in Penn Hills Borough, Allegheny County wearing a black shirt and skirt with floral design and black sandals. The car seat is a black and gray Evenflo Maestro Sport Harness booster seat.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Allegheny County Police Tip Line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS (1-833-255-8477).
