COLUMBUS – Columbus police say report of a missing East Side girl was a hoax.
In a series of tweets posted Tuesday, police said the girl was never missing, was a middle school-age girl who was safe in Pittsburgh and was not named Briana.
*3rd UPDATE 3/19/19 3:45pm: Thx to social media & @KDKA sharing our Missing Child posting. Family of this girl (not named Briana-not 4yo-nor missing) contacted us on CPD FB post today after seeing this info KDKA.
This girl-in middle school-is safe with family in PA-never missing. pic.twitter.com/SX3QnSEb4t— Columbus Division of Police (@ColumbusPolice) March 19, 2019
The Missing Persons Unit determined the Columbus woman who said her child was missing during her arraignment on theft charges Monday fabricated the story, said Lt. Bill Laff, of the Special Victims Bureau.
He says the investigation is ongoing and charges are forthcoming.
Family members of the girl in the photo saw the photo in Pittsburgh and alerted authorities that she was never missing, Laff said.