A local woman is accused of pretending to be a child’s mother and taking her from school, police say.
Online court records filed Thursday show Jamya M. Jones-Houston, 24, of Pittsburgh, was charged with kidnapping of a minor and interference with the custody of children.
According to the criminal complaint, a woman called Homestead police March 20 to report that Jones-Houston had called Barrett Elementary School pretending to be her, and signed her daughter out without her permission.
The woman told police she had an active protection-from-abuse order against Jones-Houston, who is an ex-girlfriend. Police say it doesn’t appear the PFA was ever served.
Also, the woman claimed Jones-Houston called her to say she’d taken her daughter from school.
Police spoke with the school principal, who said someone called the school claiming to be the child’s mother and gave permission for Jones-Houston to sign her out.
A security guard checked Jones-Houston’s identification and allowed the child to be signed out, the complaint says.
Police called Jones-Houston, who reportedly admitted she had the child at a home in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood.
Officers found her and the child in the 5500 block of Hays Street. Jones-Houston was arrested on an active warrant from the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office.
Jones-Houston claimed she’d met with the child’s mother the day before and agreed to pick her up from school.
On April 10, police interviewed the mother, who said Jones-Houston did not have permission to pick up her daughter, and she has no legal custody of the child.
Channel 11 reached out to Steel Valley School District and was given this statement from Superintendent Bryan Macuga:
“On Friday, March 20, a student was improperly removed from Barrett Elementary by a woman who misrepresented herself to district personnel as an approved family member. Upon learning about this misrepresentation, school and district administration took swift and immediate action and law enforcement began an investigation to locate the child.
“Thanks to the prompt response by law enforcement and district personnel, the child was located unharmed and safely reunited with their mother. The district continues to have constructive, positive communication with the family and with law enforcement. The Steel Valley School District has also conducted its own investigation and comprehensive review of its security protocols and student release procedures. We will monitor and evaluate these protocols as we continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of all of our students.
“Thank you to the Homestead Borough Police Department and City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for their prompt response and professionalism during this situation. As this is now a legal matter, the district cannot make any further comment at this time.”
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