Nailla Robinson, Philadelphia girl taken from school, found outside city

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Caught on Tape ,; Daily Blotter

Nailla Robinson

/ CBS Philly

(AP) PHILADELPHIA -- A 5-year-old girl who was taken from a Philadelphia school was found safe Tuesday morning just outside the city, police said.

Upper Darby police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said a man walking down the street around 4:40 a.m. heard cries for help and found Nailla Robinson hiding under a jungle gym in a park, wearing only a T-shirt. She's been taken to the hospital to be checked out, Chitwood said, but is expected to be OK.

The investigation was continuing, Chitwood said, and police are continuing to search for the girl's abductor.

Police said Nailla Robinson was taken Monday morning from the Bryant School. Authorities released surveillance video showing a woman wearing a full-length, black Muslim garment, her face covered by a black veil, taking the girl out of the school. Lt. John Walker told the Philadelphia Daily News the woman introduced herself as "Tiffany," but her signature in the school visitor log was illegible.

Nailla's mother had appeared on local media Monday night, tearfully pleading for her safe return, and explaining how she also wears the traditional chador and niqab.

School district officials said that allowing the girl to leave school with an unknown adult was a "serious break in procedure." District spokesman Fernando Gallard said the woman didn't wait at the school's front office as is district policy but went to her classroom and told a teacher that the child had already been "checked out" of school.

Police discovered that the girl was missing later that afternoon, when a caretaker from the child's after-school program came to pick her up.

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by Browneyedsoul February 16, 2013 7:33 PM EST: Please visit this website and sign the petition to have Nailla Robinson awarded the reward for her part in leading police to the house where she was held against her will and brutally assaulted. This girl is a hero and she should be honored for her bravery. Thanks in advance. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/reward-nailla-robinson/; Reply to this comment

by Pabsk67 January 16, 2013 7:08 PM EST

I happen to work in an elementary school office. If a parent comes to our school to sign out a child, they have to sign them out along with providing ID. If the ID doesn't match the child's name, I must look up the student on our system and see who the authorized adults are that are allowed to pick her up. If someone other than who is on the list comes in, they are not allowed to take the child. Only if the parent sent a letter with the child stating it was ok. Once the parent signs out the student, the student is then called to the office where the parent remains. If the parent attempts to go down any of the two hallways outside of the main office, we make them come back or have even needed to chase them down. THEN a teacher can't release a child if the parent goes into the room and says it's okay. That teacher must be instructed by the office or call the office and check. There were a lot of major fails that day. It shouldn't have been that easy to take her out.

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by stealth916 January 17, 2013 12:02 AM EST: Looking at an ID does NO GOOD if you do not match the picture on the ID to the face of the person presenting said ID. Also IDs are easy to forge and teachers are not trained to spot fake IDs from the numerous possible IDs issued across this countrty. Schools should use biometrics and/or a photo database of allowed caregivers and they MUST REMOVE THEIR CRIMINAL UNIFORM to pass inspection. How much longer will we allow the criminal uniform to be worn and passed off as religious garb?


by dani2you January 16, 2013 12:57 AM EST: There is a whole lot more to this story than we know - it's sitting right here in my gut. Because our nation requires extreme sensitivity... blah blah.... we may not know for a long time.

There are desperate and crazy people in the world - that's nothing new. But if a desperate and crazy person was allowed to walk in my son's school and take him - I would have serious issues with that.

I have had some serious debates about the topic of tight school safety policies and have heard that it just scares the kids. No, it doesn't! When my son enters the door and sees a police officer, he knows he can just go about his business of learning.; Reply to this comment

by get_down January 15, 2013 5:18 PM EST

This article failed to mention the biological "father" of this "allegedly been abducted" 5-year-old girl. I wonder if this mysterious "woman" who signed in with the name "Tiffany" - could she somehow be related to the young girl's biological "father"?

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by Briana_Michale January 15, 2013 6:17 PM EST: What exactly does it have to do with this beautiful little girl being stolen and found?


by xolomom_Canada January 15, 2013 12:10 PM EST: Thank God this adorable little girl was found safe. I can't believe the school did not ask the perp for ID. If a kidnapper can put on a niqab and walk into a school and take a child in this manner, how can we trust that anyone wearing a niqab at an airport will not attempt to breach of security?; Reply to this comment

by cortiz58 January 15, 2013 11:37 AM EST

WOW, how irresponsible and neglectful of this school! What is wrong with those teachers and office staff? They easily broke their own rules and failed to use any common sense. Hold them completely responsible and fire all of those involved! In todays world there is no room for any mistakes or inattention to what is happening to our children, especially in our schools! What a disgrace for allowing that to happen!

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by Jonseen January 15, 2013 10:49 PM EST: Apparently it was a substitute teacher - who is suspended for the time being, I read that on an article somewhere else. The teacher didn't follow proper procedures.

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