x
Breaking News
More () »

Woman Accused of Hiding Missing Girl

OLD FORGE — A woman from Lackawanna County faces felony charges for allegedly hiding a teenage girl in her home when police came looking for her. Earlier ...
Athena Leader of missing

OLD FORGE -- A woman from Lackawanna County faces felony charges for allegedly hiding a teenage girl in her home when police came looking for her.

Earlier this week, we told you about the search for a missing 14-year-old girl from Old Forge. She was found about block away from the Old Forge police station.

Police now say that an adult told the girl to hide under a mattress when officers first came looking for her.

The missing teen's picture was all over social media last weekend. She had run away from home in Old Forge and her parents were looking for her.

Old forge police now say she was at the home of  Athena Leader, 37, and that Leader told the girl to hide when police came looking for her there.

"The girl told me she was being abused by her parents and I was an abused child; I felt for the girl," said Leader. "She was there a couple days before the incident. I was listening to everything that she had said. I thought I was doing the right thing. I was scared, I didn't know what to do."

Police say they went to Leader's home in Old Forge twice on Monday. The first time, they found marijuana plants but no sign of the missing girl. When they returned with a search warrant, she had come out from hiding in a hollowed-out box spring.

Athena Leader is now charged with concealing the whereabouts of a child, a felony, along with drug charges. She's accused of sharing that marijuana with minors at her home.

"Our guys worked around the clock to try and find this girl, come to find out she's a block away from our police department and not one person made a phone call, except the parents went above and beyond by putting an anonymous tip line on Facebook," said Old Forge Police Chief Jason Dubernas

A post on Facebook about the teen's disappearance spread quickly for a few days before she was found.

Tracy Pitta saw it, having no idea that the girl was right across the street.

"I shared her photo on Facebook. I've been, gosh, I thought she was sick! I had no idea. And I come outside, I saw the cops here earlier but I just didn't think anything of it, but, I'm in complete shock," Pitta said.

When Athena Leader was arrested Friday afternoon, she was already out on bail for another crime. She's accused of assaulting a group of teenagers in Old Forge on Wednesday.

Police say the girl's claims that she was being abused are being looked into.

Before You Leave, Check This Out