Police: Woman who abandoned child after Macy's theft in custody

CENTER CITY (WPVI) -- A woman who, police say, abandoned her young daughter while evading police at a Philadelphia department store is now in custody.

27-year-old Mahogany Ashly Terry, from the 2400 block of North 29th Street was taken into police custody late Monday night.

The incident happened around 6:10 p.m. Thursday, February 11, 2016 at the Macy's in Center City.

Police say Terry was apprehended by store security for retail theft. She is accused of stealing $1,400 worth of merchandise.

Terry, who was accompanied by her 4-year-old daughter, was handcuffed and detained by Macy's Loss Prevention, police say.

However, she was able to free herself from the handcuffs and escaped the room, leaving her daughter behind.

Security notified police and the child was taken to DHS and is now staying with relatives.

Terry's picture was familiar to a number of people Action News spoke with in her neighborhood. Some were saddened to hear that she would get caught up in something like this.

"It's awful, very awful and I don't believe that she would do something like that, something is just not right," neighbor Regina Boggs said.

"But why wouldn't you step up to come get your child, I mean, take responsibility; it's sad," neighbor Melvina Coles said.

"It's hard to believe, it's sad," neighbor Pam Johnson said.

She faces charges of retail theft and recklessly endangering the welfare of a child.