CLEVELAND, Ohio – Two Cleveland women face criminal charges after authorities determined they filed a fake police report claiming they discovered an abandoned infant outside their home.
Tierra Shelton, 43, and Jasmine Shelton, 22, were charged with making or causing false reports of child endangerment on Aug. 19, according to court records.
Jasmine Shelton has also been charged with tampering with evidence, Both women were arraigned last week in Cleveland Municipal Court and released on personal bonds.
The charges stem from an incident July 12 when the women brought a 3-month-old baby to Cleveland’s Fifth District Station, claiming they found the infant in front of their residence in the 900 block of Wayside Avenue.
Police launched an investigation that included multiple interviews with the women and a review of surveillance video. Investigators ultimately determined the report was false.
The infant was in good health with no signs of injury or abuse, police said.
Following the initial report, authorities issued public alerts seeking help to identify the baby and notified the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services, which took custody of the child. The child was later identified.
Officials have not disclosed how the two women were connected to the infant.