5-year-old missing girl & babysitter return home, babysitter arrested on outstanding warrant

Hours after a 5-year-old girl and her babysitter were reported missing, they returned home Monday morning. 

 

The babysitter, Barbara Whitlow, was arrested on outstanding warrants. 

 

The 5-year-old girl was left at her home on East 142nd Street just north of Kinsman Avenue by her mother Leana Todd when she went to work at 4 p.m.on Sunday.

 

Leana told News 5 that she left her daughter with Whitlow, her lifelong best friend. 

 

When Leana returned from work just after 8 p.m. she found the home empty and no sign of either Rihanna or Whitlow.

NOW: @CLEpolice have just arrested Barbara Whitlow. She was babysitter with missing 5-year-old Rihanna Todd. @WEWS pic.twitter.com/dhIMerhhyX

— Meg Shaw (@MegDShaw) May 1, 2017

The two returned home around 7:45 a.m. Monday.

 

Whitlow told reporters at the scene she didn't know the girl had been reported missing. 

 

News 5 looked into Withlow's past and found a history with law enforcement. 

 

Her arrest Monday was related to a DUI from 2015.

 

According to the police report, Todd told investigators Whitlow is "known to drink alcohol and pass out."

Whitlow isn't the only one with a history. There's a court record with children's services for Todd including a dismissed genetics test-related case and two custody-related cases.

Tawaniki Davis, grandma to one of Leona Todd's three daughters, has emergency custody of one of the girls.

Davis told News 5 she hopes police and family services investigators really look into the case, even now that the little girl is back home.

"I know if they don't get these kids something bad is going to happen. Cause she always got something going on," she said.

News 5 reached out to family services to see if they've opened a new case but we have not yet heard back.