Mother Wanted For Alleged Abandonment of Baby While Shoplifting

Warrants have been issued for the arrest of 19-year-old Brettany Walton, who is suspected of abandoning her 1-year-old son while shoplifting with two other girls at Nov. 26.

Westlake police arrested two 15-year-old girls from Cleveland and Garfield Heights for receiving stolen property, obstructing official business, complicity and child endangerment after police found them with bags of stolen goods including clothing, accessories, toiletries, hair extensions and earphones from several Crocker Park stores on Nov. 26. Police also found with them a 1-year-old boy asleep in a stroller.

The girls told police that two unknown girls had stolen the merchandise and left the bags, and that they had no idea who the boy’s parents were. The took the boy to for a checkup, where they found him to be fine.

The pair eventually told police that Walton is the child’s mother, and that she had fled the scene before officers arrived at Crocker Park, according to Cpt. Guy Turner.

Westlake officers contacted Walton by phone, but she refused to come pick up her son, Turner said. Children’s Services assisted in finding the boy’s grandmother, who came to the hospital and took him home with her that night. She is in the process of trying to get custody of the boy through the courts, police said.

Garfield Heights police arrested Walton in May for a similar incident, and in July, she pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property, child endangerment, attempted carrying a concealed weapon for a gun she was carrying, and aggravated theft, according to court documents.

Walton is sought on two counts of complicity and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Police are also seeking warrants for theft, obstructing official business and child endangerment.

Editor's Note: Warrants, arrests and charges do not indicate convictions.