Woman at center of Amber Alert told police toddler's father was planning to sell her

PENN HILLS, Pa. — An Amber Alert has been issued after a toddler was abducted in Penn Hills on Saturday, according to police. A woman was charged Monday in connection with the case as the search continues for the little girl. Police sources told Channel 11 the girl's body was found Tuesday afternoon.

PHOTOS: Toddler abducted from Penn Hills, suspect arrested

THE ALLEGED ABDUCTION

Police said Nalani Johnson is a black female with a light complexion and will be 2 years old in September. She has short, curly, black hair and brown eyes and was wearing a black shirt and a skirt with floral design and black sandals. Police said she goes by the nickname "Mooh."

>>RELATED: AMBER ALERT: What we know about abducted toddler Nalani Johnson

Nalani was last seen at the intersection of Bryant and Clay drives in Penn Hills about 5 p.m. Saturday, according to police.

>>RELATED: AMBER ALERT: Search underway in Westmoreland Co. for abducted toddler

Police said the girl was abducted by 25-year-old Sharena Islam Nancy.

Police say Nancy was captured on camera at the Sheetz in Murrysville around 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 31, just 30 minutes after the alleged abduction.

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Police said Nancy was driving a 2017 black Toyota Yaris with Pennsylvania license plate KLW-3926 and Lyft and Uber stickers on the front passenger side window. Police said they found Nancy and the car involved and said she was being questioned at the police department.

On Tuesday, Lyft issued the following statement:

"While this incident did not happen on the Lyft platform, these allegations are deeply disturbing. The safety of our community is fundamental to Lyft and we have permanently banned this individual from driving with Lyft."

- Lyft spokesperson Dana Davis

An official from Uber told Channel 11 no one using the name of Sharena Nancy used its app during the weekend.

County police, the lead agency in the investigation, said they are being helped by the FBI. The agency said shortly after the alleged abduction, Nancy drove to Monroeville, where the car was spotted near the intersection of Route 48 and Route 22 shortly after 5 p.m.

>>RELATED: AMBER ALERT: What we know about abducted toddler Nalani Johnson

During their investigation, police said the black Toyota Yaris traveled to the Blairsville, New Alexandria and Delmont areas of Westmoreland County during the 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. time frame. Anyone who may have seen anything is asked to call Allegheny County police.

Family members told Channel 11 Nancy was giving a ride to Nalani, her father and a friend. When Nalani's father got out of the car and went around to get the girl, Nancy allegedly took off with the child.

>>RELATED: AMBER ALERT: Search underway in Westmoreland Co. for abducted toddler

"She was in a car seat in the back, and he went around to get the car seat out with his daughter. And at the time, he had his hand on the door, and she drove off," Nalani's grandfather said.

During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, authorities said Nalani's father, also named Paul Johnson, and Nancy were in the beginning of a romantic relationship after communicating on social media. They got into an argument Saturday afternoon.

Allegheny County Police are asking people to be on the lookout for a car seat that Nalani may have ridden in. Police said when they stopped the vehicle driven by Nancy, the car seat was not inside of it. The seat is described as an Evenflo Maestro Sport Harness Booster Seat, primarily black in color, with a gray seat area

Police said Nancy is not being cooperative with their investigation. On Tuesday, authorities said she has given two stories of what happened and investigators are sorting through the details.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Allegheny County Police Tipline immediately at 1-833-ALL-TIPS.

WOMAN CHARGED

Allegheny County police have arrested Sharena Islam Nancy, the driver of the Toyota Yaris, in connection with the abduction of Nalani Johnson.

Nancy is facing several charges, including kidnapping of a minor and concealment of whereabouts of a child.

According to the criminal complaint, Nancy told investigators the child's father sold the little girl to someone for $10,000.

>>RELATED: AMBER ALERT: Search underway in Westmoreland Co. for abducted toddler

Nancy alleges Johnson asked her to drive the little girl 20 minutes from a gas station in Monroeville along 22.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Allegheny County Police Tipline immediately at 1-833-ALL-TIPS.

Nancy claims Johnson showed her a picture of a woman and told her that this woman would flag her down, and she would turn the baby over to her. She alleges she did exactly what the child's father wanted.

>>RELATED: AMBER ALERT: What we know about abducted toddler Nalani Johnson

Nancy says the woman's vehicle had out-of-state plates.

Police paperwork said despite this information, the investigation never revealed a silver SUV to be a part of the case and Nalani is still missing.

SEARCH FOR NALANI

Channel 11's Mike Holden spoke to Nalani's father and grandmother Monday morning outside Allegheny County Police Headquarters, where they asked for the public's help in finding the little girl.

>>RELATED: AMBER ALERT: Search underway in Westmoreland Co. for abducted toddler

The family told Channel 11 they are offering a $3,500 reward for any information leading to Nalani's safe return.

A search had been planned for Monday morning in Westmoreland County, with people gathering at the Walmart in Delmont.

>>RELATED: AMBER ALERT: What we know about abducted toddler Nalani Johnson

Monday night, crews searched the nearby Loyalhanna Creek in several boats looking for clues. Rescue officials said they were unable to find any clues, however.

The FBI and Pennsylvania State Police searched Tuesday in the Blairsville area of Indiana County, using ATVs and other resources.

Sources told Channel 11 Nalani's body was found during the Blairsville search.

RELATED:

• Missing toddler found dead in Blairsville, sources tell Channel 11
• Search underway in Indiana Co. for abducted toddler
• What we know about abducted toddler Nalani Johnson
• Prayer event held as the search continues for toddler at the center of Amber Alert
• What we know about Sharena Nancy, woman charged with abduction of toddler

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