Police say woman falsely reported child's abduction

A Camden woman who reported a carjacking that led to an Amber Alert on Monday was charged yesterday with causing a false public alarm and filing a false police report, a police spokeswoman said yesterday.

Lakeesha White, 29, of Camden, was charged after questioning by police and was later released, according to Teresa Sicard-Archambeault, police information officer.

White had reported that her 7-year-old daughter, Jada Cordero, was kidnapped during a carjacking, police said. But the child was later found by police in her first-grade class in downtown Camden, where she had been throughout the alleged incident. The car was found locked and secure in North Camden, after which police discontinued the search for a carjacker.

The child has been turned over to the custody of White's parents, according to Sicard-Archambeault. Police offered no explanation as to why White filed the allegedly fraudulent report.- Dwight Ott