Missing child is found but mother goes to jail

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2002 | 11:16 a.m.

Metro Police have called off their search for a 20-year-old woman who had a friend's 2-year-old granddaughter.

Police found toddler Quejanae Hatter safe about 8 p.m. Tuesday. The woman who had the girl, Tiffany May, hasn't been located, and police have stopped looking for her.

Shalynn Hatter, Quejanae's mother, gave the child to her mother Monday afternoon, police said. Hatter's mother, who is homeless, gave the child to May, and May was supposed to return Quejanae to Hatter.

Hatter reported her daughter missing Monday after May failed to return her.

May gave Quejanae to a friend at Carson Arms apartments on Carson Avenue on Tuesday, and the friend called police.

Metro Police Detective Gary Sayre said now that the child has been found, they're not actively searching for May.

"We don't consider it a kidnapping, but we'd like to talk to her," Metro Police Detective Gary Sayre said this morning. "The mom is culpable because she knew her mother couldn't take care of her."

Hatter was arrested Tuesday on charges of domestic violence in the assault of her mother. She was being held in the Las Vegas jail this morning. Quejanae was taken to Child Haven.