Nationwide — Sharell Serlestine Davis, a 34-year-old African American woman from Bryan, Texas, has been arrested after she reportedly hid her own daughter, a 14-year-old runaway girl, inside a closet and stopped her from leaving the home. After officers found the teenager at a residence where she was not supposed to be, her biological mom now faces a charge of harboring a runaway child. Her legal guardian told dispatchers that the girl was at the home with her biological mother, Davis, despite the guardian having legal custody. Investigators had contacted Child Protective Services before arriving and confirmed that the guardian had the proper paperwork showing she was responsible for the teenager.
Officers initially left without finding the teenager. According to KBTX, the homeowner told them he had just woken up and said there was no juvenile inside. Police searched the surrounding area but found nothing to indicate where the teenager was. They later learned that she had been inside the home during their first visit. The guardian received the information from the teenager’s grandmother and passed it on to police.
Officers returned to the area and began watching the residence. They saw Davis arrive and later leave, then stopped her to ask about the teenager. Davis allegedly told them the girl was in Fort Worth and denied that she was inside the home. She also said she had only gone there to check on her mother. Officers then received permission from a woman inside the residence to enter and look for the teen.
The teenager’s grandmother was also inside the home. While officers explained that they were only looking for the girl, the grandmother told them the teen was there. A closet door then opened, and the teenager walked out crying. She asked officers whether they were going to take her to jail or return her to her mother. Davis reportedly responded, “I didn’t even know she was in here.” The teen told police that Davis had instructed her to hide in the closet when officers first arrived.
The teenager also described what happened before police found her. She said she had gotten into a physical altercation with Davis the night before and later tried to leave so she could meet with police. When she could not reach the agreed meeting place, she returned to the home for directions. The girl told investigators that Davis then brought her inside, blocked the door, and warned that she could be placed in juvenile detention for two weeks for being a “level one” runaway. She also said Davis warned that she could get into trouble if the teenager turned herself in. Investigators determined that Davis had already been told in a Sept. 8 phone call that the girl had been reported as a runaway. She was arrested Sept. 17 and booked into the Brazos County Detention Center.