Missing Cumberland Girl Found, Mother Connected to Farmville Shooting Incident

Staff Report

CUMBERLAND – A missing 6-year-old Cumberland County girl was located safely on Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 26) following a search that started when she got off her school bus and into a black four-door sedan along Mahan Road in Cumberland on Tuesday afternoon.

Yarah Atiya Thomas was located approximately one hour after her mother, Laila Johnson, 33, was found on Wednesday around 12 p.m.

Cumberland Sheriff Darrell Hodges said that as the search began yesterday, law enforcement investigators suspected Yarah was with her mother, but that Laila Johnson was considered armed and dangerous and wanted in connection with an October 16 shooting incident in Farmville.

Farmville Police Department Captain Bill Hogan indicated that an anonymous police tip helped lead them to Johnson, who was found and arrested in the Green Bay area of Prince Edward County.

Johnson, who is a Cumberland County resident, is wanted for questioning in connection with a shooting that occurred on South Main St. in Farmville. At approximately 4:02 p.m., on Sunday (Oct. 16) Farmville Emergency Communication Center received a call of shots fired in the 1100 block of South Main St.

According to witnesses, an altercation occurred between one of four passengers of a Mitsubishi SUV and an unknown female subject. During the course of the altercation Johnson allegedly opened fire at the vehicle from behind a nearby residence. One passenger sustained injuries during the shooting incident.

Cumberland Sheriff’s Department officials stated, “Yarah Atiya Thomas has been located and is safe. Thank you to everyone for your support through this matter. We are very happy that we were able to find her.”