Alabama woman arrested after abandoning infant who isn’t her child in Walmart
12/03/2021 3:23 pm PST
NORTHPORT, Ala. (TCD) -- A 37-year-old woman was taken into custody Thursday after a 4-month-old girl was abandoned in a Walmart.
WRBC-TV reports Northport Police received a call about the toddler at approximately 8:30 p.m. Officers went to the store at 5710 McFarland Boulevard and located a little girl being taken care of in the store’s jewelry section. Investigations reportedly determined Melissa Smith was pushing the girl around the store in a shopping cart, but they do not think she is the girl’s mother. Their relationship was not immediately clear.
According to The Associated Press, Northport Police Assistant Chief Keith Carpenter said, "We don’t believe it was an abduction, but we don’t know the whole story yet."
Smith, 37, was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and unlawful possession of marijuana.
AL.com reports the girl was taken to the hospital and is now in the custody of the Alabama Department of Human Resources.
Northport Police reportedly located the girl’s mother, 37-year-old Bethany Boothe, WBRC reports. Smith and Boothe reportedly know each other.
According to WBRC, police say criminal charges regarding the child’s abandonment are pending.
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