A Clawson woman, Charla Rashida Pendergrass, has been charged with a felony for allegedly misleading FBI agents during an investigation into the death of 17-year-old London Thomas. According to Audacy, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office informed that Pendergrass, 48, is accused of lying between April 5 and April 24, during the probe of Thomas' disappearance and death.
Thomas was last viewed alive on April 5 in Inkster and was discovered deceased in an SUV in Southfield on April 26. Initial arrests were made in connection with the case, but two individuals were subsequently released pending further investigation, according to FOX 2 Detroit. It remains unclear what Pendergrass' relationship to Thomas was, though her link to a home on the same street where Thomas was last seen drew particular attention.
Expressing her pain, Thomas' grandmother, Jestina Martin, told FOX 2 Detroit, "I'm not eating, not sleeping. It's just heartbreaking. I'm never going to get my baby back." Martin conveyed suspicion toward Pendergrass, stating she confronted her shortly after the teen went missing, where Pendergrass claimed Thomas had left, and Martin knew her to be lying.
Recently arraigned in the 22nd District Court, Pendergrass faces a charge that carries a maximum punishment of four years, as per an announcement from the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office publicized by The Detroit News. Aspects of the case remain active, and additional details are withheld. Pendergrass' bond was set at $50,000 with a GPS tether, and she is ordered to have no contact with witnesses, surrender her passport, not leave the state without permission, and not possess weapons or ammunition.
