Allegheny County police searched a home Thursday night in North Braddock in connection to the case of a Penn Hills woman accused of hiding the whereabouts of her fraternal twins for the past decade, officials said.
“Last night, units from the Allegheny County Police Department and other law enforcement entities were at a home on Reeves Street ... in connection with the Fowler case,” Assistant Superintendent James Morton said in a statement. “Their search found nothing.”
Patricia Fowler, 47, was arrested in August after it was discovered no one had seen her twins — Ivon and Inisha — for at least a decade.
Penn Hills police initially became involved when they helped Allegheny County Children, Youth and Families remove four children from Fowler's home in June. The children later were returned to Fowler. The agency then discovered Fowler had two children — fraternal twins, who would be about 17 — who were missing. The last time family members can recall seeing the twins was about 10 years ago.
Police on Friday did not indicate what prompted the search, which included cadaver dogs, nor did officials say what officers were looking for.
Fowler has provided explanations, police said, ultimately admitting each was a lie: The twins were with an aunt in South Carolina. They lived with a high school friend. She sold them for $2,000 apiece.
Fowler is charged with obstruction, child endangerment, unsworn falsification to police and two counts of concealing the whereabouts of a child. A judge held all charges against her in October. Formal arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 26.
Fowler's 19-year-old son Datwon, also is awaiting formal arraignment on charges he sent Facebook messages and texts to police pretending he was Ivon, claiming the twins were safe in Atlanta. The criminal complaint against him said the phone he texted from was traced to Patricia Fowler's home, where police caught the teen trying to flee.
Datwon Fowler is charged with obstruction, criminal use of communications and conspiracy to conceal the whereabouts of a child. His arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 25.
Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-380-8519 or mguza@tribweb.com.
