VENANGO CO., Pa. (EYT) – Charges have been filed against a woman accused of lying to police about the whereabouts of a runaway juvenile in an attempt to interfere with a court-ordered custody agreement.
Court documents indicate the Franklin-based State Police filed criminal charges against 36-year-old Jade Ellen Anderson, of Wattsburg.
According to a criminal complaint, around 9:11 a.m. on Monday, June 21, Franklin-based State Police were dispatched to a residence in Cherrytree Township, Venango County, to attempt to locate a juvenile that ran away from home.
A known male reported that he and Jade Anderson have a court-ordered custody agreement in place for the juvenile, and he was to have custody of the juvenile until Sunday, June 27, but the juvenile ran away sometime between 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 20, and 7:00 a.m. on Monday, June 21, the complaint states.
Police then spoke to Anderson on the phone, and she reportedly said she had not heard anything from the juvenile and was driving around looking for her.
When asked if she knew where the juvenile was, Anderson said she did not, the complaint notes.
Police then spoke with staff members at Titusville High School and obtained contact information for the juvenile’s boyfriend. Police then contacted the boyfriend’s mother.
According to the complaint, the boyfriend’s mother told police the juvenile was at her residence and she was not aware the juvenile had run away from home. She also reported that Anderson was on her way to pick up the juvenile. Police then called Anderson again and asked if she had obtained any new information on the juvenile’s whereabouts. Anderson reportedly told police that she had not.
Police then went to the boyfriend’s residence in the Titusville area and observed Anderson pulling up to the house in her vehicle. They approached her while she was still in the vehicle and asked how she knew where the juvenile was, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, Anderson continued to say she didn’t know where the juvenile was and told police she was “just checking there because she saw her there before.” When police confronted her about lying and asked if she knew where the juvenile was when they had spoken to her before. Anderson reportedly replied by saying she “couldn’t answer the question.”
Police then spoke to the boyfriend’s mother and asked how Anderson knew the juvenile was at her residence, and she told them the juvenile called Anderson around 9:30 a.m. to tell her where she was. The phone call took place prior to the trooper’s arrival at the scene and his initial call with Anderson, the complaint indicates.
According to the complaint, Anderson lied to the trooper multiple times about the active investigation into the runaway juvenile and made statements to prevent the apprehension of the juvenile and interfere with the custody agreement.
The following charges were filed against Anderson through Magisterial District Judge Andrew F. Fish’s office on June 22:
– Hinder Apprehension/Prosecution-False Information To Law Enforcement, Misdemeanor 2
– Criminal Attempt – Interference With Custody Of Children, Misdemeanor 2
– Obstruction of Justice, Misdemeanor 3
A preliminary hearing for the case has not yet been scheduled.
