Honor Roll Student misses graduation after police mistakenly arrest her
Prosecutors said they dropped the case after realizing she was not involved in a crime. It appears to be a horrific case of mistaken identity, 11 News I-Team reporter Barry Simms said.
"She's been crying the whole time. She's terrified. She's never been through this environment before," mother Catia Brown said.
Worried about their daughter, Catia and Elvin Brown said they did everything they could to get her released.
A warrant charged Tiarra Brown with attempted murder, assault and reckless endangerment. She was held without bail after police arrested her Thursday during graduation practice at Casa Academy in Southwest Baltimore.
"That's not her profile. She's an honor roll student. She has scholarships going to college June 21. She did track and field. She worked all year to pay for her graduation, and she missed graduation for a misunderstanding," the girl's mother said.
The warrant was issued in connection with the May 6 stabbing of a woman outside the Half Mile Track nightclub on Frederick Avenue near Collins Avenue. It happened around 1:30 a.m.
According to a statement of charges, what appears to be the victim's daughter filled out a complaint and submitted it to a commissioner at the Patapsco Avenue Courthouse claiming that Brown stabbed her mother six times and threatened her as well.
The commissioner issued a warrant for her arrest, but to add to the confusion police said they had already charged a woman named Brittany Johnson with the stabbing when Brown was arrested at her high school during graduation practice.
"It was negligence on their side, and I think it's disgraceful to just pick a person out and charge them without investigating," Catia Brown said. "She's always in the house. She's too young to go to a club. She's never been to a club a day in her life."
Police and prosecutors now said the warrant was wrongfully issued by a court commissioner and that Tiarra Brown committed no crime.
Once they said they realized what happened, the investigating detective and the detective from the Warrant Apprehension Task Force went to the state's attorney seeking Brown's release.
She was released around 6 p.m. Monday into the custody of her elated parents (image of release to the right).
"This is the longest I've ever been away from (my parents)," the girl told 11 News after she was released. "I was real upset, but I prayed to God and read my Bible and knew the best thing for me was just to come home."
When she finally emerged from detention, Brown was so grateful to see her parents, she didn't express any bitterness about her ordeal, 11 News reporter Kerry Cavanaugh said.
"The officers were very nice. They checked on me and made sure I was eating and drinking and not so depressed and crying too much," Tiarra Brown said.
11 News went to the home of the person who filed the handwritten complaint that led to the warrant. No one answered.
The family said police showed the stabbing victim and two witnesses Tiarra Brown's picture, and all of them said she was not involved.
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