There are serious questions about how a 13-year-old Dallas girl spent nearly two weeks in an adult jail.
The Dallas Police Department and Dallas County Jail have opened up investigations into how the 13-year-old spent 11 days in the Lew Sterrett Justice Center.
The all too adult ordeal started July 10 at a Target Store on Haskell Avenue in Dallas when an off duty Dallas officer arrested what he thought were 2 adult women for shoplifting.
The two suspects gave their ages as 17 and 20, and were booked into the Dallas County Jail.
After 11 days inside it was discovered during a court hearing that one of the women was actually a 13-year-old.
The discovery led to investigations by both Dallas Police and the Dallas County Sheriff's Office, who operate the jail, into how this could happen.
"The investigation is going to determine if any procedures were not followed also give us an oppturity to make sure we have some good procedures in place" says Dallas Police Lt. Andy Harvey.
The off-duty officer who arrested 13-year-old Michelle Washington tells CBS 11 the girl did not appear to be that young. "She, from what I remember, in my opinion, she didn't look like a 13-year-old she looked a little older" said Cpl. Robert Garcia.
DPD says the child lied about her age but there are mechanisms in place that should have prevented this from happening, instead sending her to the Henry Wade Juvenile Detention Center.
"If she would have been distraught and upset there are phones at Sterrett in the Women's section that are free of charge. She could have called her parents or any of her family members to come and get her" says Lt. Harvey.
The girl has a juvenile record and was listed as a runaway by her parents. Investigators say that should have been looked into and that her fingerprints would have been on file.
