MARGATE, Fla. — Local 10 News obtained body camera video on Thursday showing the October arrest of a Margate woman who police say is now facing a child neglect charge in connection with her 10-year-old daughter, who has been missing for nearly five months.
The video shows Passha Davis, 34, being taken into custody by Margate police on Oct. 17 after officers said they responded to a reported shoplifting at Dollar Tree, located at 332 S. State Road 7.
Davis was first approached by officers while holding a Little Caesars pizza box in a shopping plaza near the Dollar Tree. Police told her she was being detained in connection with a possible battery and theft.
“How do you know it was me? You don’t know if it’s true or not,” Davis said, telling officers someone had stolen her ID at the bus terminal the day before. “You’re picking a random person out of a litter box.”
Davis refused to give her name or age to officers at the scene for nearly 20 minutes and chose not to reveal her identity after saying, “It’s not fair.”
According to the arrest report, a caller told police that he saw Davis concealing items in a bag before leaving them near bushes outside the store.
Weeks later, on Nov. 4, Davis was arrested again — this time on a charge of child neglect without great bodily harm — as investigators continue to search for her missing daughter, Gabrielle Terrelonge.
Authorities said Gabrielle was last seen on June 21 leaving a Walmart in Margate and was first reported missing on Oct. 29 by her father. Despite efforts by multiple agencies, including the FBI, Gabrielle has not been found.
Investigators said Davis, who is homeless and has a history of mental health and substance abuse issues, has not provided any information about her daughter’s whereabouts.
She told police that Gabrielle was supposed to be with her father, but investigators said that claim is not supported by evidence.
Gabrielle’s father, Gordon Torrelonge, had a message for his missing daughter while speaking to Local 10 News on Monday.
“Gabby, you are coming home soon, and if not, we are going to find you,” he said. “I hope you are listening. Hold on, we will be there soon.”
If released, Davis would be required to wear a GPS monitor, undergo random testing, and comply with mental health and substance abuse treatment, according to police.
In addition to the child neglect charge, court records show Davis faces charges from the Oct. 17 incident, including unlawful use of a false name or identity and resisting an officer without violence.
As of Thursday afternoon, she remains held on a $100,000 bond at the Broward Main Jail.
Local 10 has also learned that at the request of the Margate Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office was asked to canvas abandoned hotels for Gabrielle in the area of West 192, where she and Davis would frequent in the past.
Anyone with information on Gabrielle’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Margate Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 954-972-7111 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
A reward for information leading to her recovery has been raised to $5,000.
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