Crime & Safety
Woman Arrested After Sending Sheriff's Office On Search For Nonexistent Child
Authorities say it's unclear why Treaunna Roberts used valuable police resources to search for a child that she totally fabricated.
MILWAUKIE, OR — A Portland woman from the Glenfair neighborhood was arrested in Clackamas County on Tuesday after filing a false missing child police report, according to Clackamas County Sheriff's officials.
Treaunna Sierra Viola Roberts, 24, was lodged at the Clackamas County Jail on one charge of initiating a false report. Her bail is set at $1,500.
The investigation began around 5:30 p.m. Aug. 22, after Roberts reportedly called police to the Park Avenue TriMet Transit Center in Milwaukie to report a missing child. According to police, Roberts said her 4-year-old son Anthony was missing — ostensibly implying that he had gotten aboard a MAX train without her.
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Working with Transit Police, sheriff's officials reportedly tried to stop trains as well as release push notifications through social media asking the public to help find Anthony, who Roberts described as a 4-year-old black boy with cornrows, wearing a blue shirt, white shorts, and Jordan sneakers.
#Alert Missing 4 yr old from Park Ave. Max platform. Blk, male, corn rows, blu shirt, wht shorts blk shoes. Name is Anthony. No pic Plz RT
— Clackamas Sheriff (@ClackCoSheriff) August 23, 2017
Detectives with the sheriff's office and Clackamas County Search and Rescue were also deployed to assist in locating Anthony, police said.
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As officers and detectives questioned Roberts, her story became more and more inconsistent, police said. And after combing through surveillance video of the area, her whole story was soon doubted.
Around 8:30 p.m., after roughly three hours of searching, stopping trains, and sending out missing child alerts, Roberts reportedly confessed she'd made up everything — that not only was there no missing child, but that she didn't have a child named Anthony at all.
#Alert Female made up story about lost child. She is now enroute to Clack Co. Jail for false reporting. Thank u all for RT's.
— Clackamas Sheriff (@ClackCoSheriff) August 23, 2017
Clackamas County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Brian Jensen told Patch on Wednesday there was still no clear reason as to why Roberts made up her story.
Roberts has a history of criminal convictions dating back to October 2013, including misdemeanor convictions for prostitution and — most recently in July — second degree theft.
This post will be updated when more information becomes available.
Image: Clackamas County Sheriff's Office
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