Police: Pittsburgh woman gave son, 6, to stranger on bus before shoplifting arrest

Police: Pa. woman gave son, 6, to stranger on bus

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh woman faces charges after she allegedly left her 6-year-old son with a stranger on board a bus while she was being arrested on a shoplifting charge. Police said Portia Scoggins had two children with her Friday when she boarded a bus after taking items from a pharmacy, but just one when they pulled it over and arrested her.

Officers said Scoggins left the older child on board, giving a stranger the address for one of the boy’s friends and instructions to drop him off there.

Police later learned the boy had been on the bus and found him at the address Scoggins supplied to the stranger.

Online court records don’t detail the charges against Scoggins. A phone listing for her could not be located Monday.

The children are in the custody of county social workers.