Carlina White Abducted at Birth in Harlem New York

Carlina Renae White was born in mid-July of 1987 to her mother, Joy White, and her father, Carl Tyson. The young couple lived in New York City and were experiencing the excitement and pressures of being new parents. Joy was only in her late teens when she gave birth to Carlina, and the arrival of the baby brought both hope and stress. They were determined to raise their daughter together, and in those early weeks, they leaned on extended family and on the support of Harlem Hospital when health concerns arose.

Carlina, just shy of three weeks old, was a healthy and alert infant, but like many newborns, she experienced bouts of illness. In early August, she developed a fever that worried her parents. Believing that a hospital was the safest place for such a young baby, Joy and Carl decided to take their daughter to Harlem Hospital Center in New York City on the night of August 4, 1987.

A Night at Harlem Hospital

That evening, Joy and Carl brought Carlina into the hospital’s emergency ward. Doctors examined her, reassured the parents that her illness was not life-threatening, and placed the baby under observation for the night. Joy reluctantly left Carlina in the hospital’s care, trusting that her daughter would be safe surrounded by medical professionals.

Hospitals in the 1980s did not yet have the rigorous security systems that are commonplace today. Identification bracelets were used, but surveillance cameras were limited, and visitor check-in procedures were more relaxed. In this environment, a determined abductor could take advantage of the system.

Sometime during the late night and early morning hours, a woman dressed in the attire of a nurse moved freely through the hospital ward. She appeared confident, blending in as though she belonged. That woman was Ann Pettway, and she had been struggling with her own life issues—miscarriages, instability, and a longing for a child she could call her own.

The Disappearance of an Infant

At only 19 days old, Carlina was taken from her crib. The abductor slipped past hospital staff, who assumed she was a nurse or orderly. The child was bundled in a blanket and carried out of Harlem Hospital into the night.

The next morning, Joy and Carl returned to check on their daughter. When nurses could not locate Carlina, panic broke out. Staff quickly realized that the baby had been abducted, and the New York Police Department was called in to investigate.

The disappearance of an infant from a hospital was shocking. News spread quickly throughout New York City. Posters with Carlina’s picture were distributed, and the case received local and national attention. Police interviewed staff, reviewed hospital records, and searched surrounding neighborhoods. Despite the intense investigation, no strong leads emerged. The baby had vanished without a trace.

Life Under a New Identity

After the abduction, Ann Pettway raised Carlina in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She gave her the name Nejdra “Netty” Nance and passed her off as her biological daughter. To the outside world, they appeared as a mother and child living an ordinary life.

Growing up, Netty noticed that things about her upbringing were unusual. She never had a birth certificate or a Social Security number, documents most children need for school registration, medical care, and later employment. Whenever she questioned Ann about this, she was given vague answers. At times, she was told stories that didn’t make sense, such as that her birth certificate had been lost or misplaced.

Despite these oddities, Netty carried on with her life. She was raised in Bridgeport and later lived in Atlanta, Georgia. Friends and acquaintances often remarked that she did not look like her supposed relatives. Her curiosity about her background grew as she entered adulthood.

The Search for the Truth

By the mid-2000s, Netty’s doubts became harder to ignore. She was raising a daughter of her own and wanted to establish a clearer family history. Without a Social Security number or a birth certificate, it was difficult to secure proper medical care for her child or to access government services.

Her search led her to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. On their website, she came across the profile of a baby who had been kidnapped from Harlem Hospital in 1987. The photograph of the missing infant bore a striking resemblance to her own baby pictures. She also noticed that the timeline and circumstances aligned with her life.

Netty contacted the center, who in turn notified the New York Police Department. DNA testing was arranged to confirm her suspicions. The results revealed the truth: she was indeed Carlina Renae White, the child kidnapped nearly 23 years earlier.

Reunion with Her Birth Family

In January 2011, the news broke that Carlina White had been found alive. Joy White and Carl Tyson were overwhelmed with emotion. For more than two decades, they had lived with uncertainty, pain, and unanswered questions. Now, their daughter had returned, not as the baby they lost, but as a grown woman with a child of her own.

The reunion was widely covered by national media. Photographs of Carlina embracing her birth parents were broadcast across television networks and printed in newspapers. The story was hailed as one of the most remarkable recoveries of a kidnapped child in American history.

However, adjusting to this new reality was not simple. Carlina had been raised in another family and was deeply affected by the life she had lived. Reconnecting with Joy and Carl required patience, understanding, and time.

The Arrest of Ann Pettway

Attention quickly turned to Ann Pettway. After the DNA test confirmed Carlina’s identity, Pettway went into hiding for several days. Eventually, she turned herself in to the FBI office in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Federal prosecutors charged her with kidnapping. Because state charges were barred by statutes of limitations, the case was handled under federal law, which allowed for prosecution decades after the crime. Pettway initially faced the possibility of life imprisonment.

In February 2012, she pleaded guilty to kidnapping. In July of that year, a federal judge sentenced her to 12 years in prison, acknowledging the profound harm she caused to Carlina and her biological parents.

Motive Behind the Abduction

During court proceedings, details emerged about Pettway’s motives. She had experienced miscarriages and felt unable to carry a child of her own. Grieving and desperate, she went to Harlem Hospital, where she found an opportunity to take someone else’s baby. She raised Carlina as her own, concealing the crime for more than two decades.

Psychologists and law enforcement experts noted that cases of infant abductions from hospitals often involve women experiencing emotional crises tied to fertility, loss, or fractured relationships. Pettway fit this profile, though her actions were still considered a deliberate and criminal act.

Life After Discovery

For Carlina, the revelation of her true identity was both liberating and difficult. She finally had answers to the questions that haunted her for years. She reunited with her parents and extended family, but the decades lost could not be recovered.

In interviews, Carlina expressed feelings of gratitude for discovering her roots but also confusion about how to process the life she had lived under another name. At times, her relationship with her biological parents was strained, partly due to the sudden spotlight and partly because of the long separation.

Despite the challenges, her case inspired hope for other families of missing children. It demonstrated that even decades later, a mystery could be solved, and a child could be found alive.

Media Attention and Cultural Impact

The extraordinary story of Carlina White drew widespread media coverage. Documentaries, news specials, and dramatizations retold the events. Lifetime released a film titled Abducted: The Carlina White Story in 2012, starring Keke Palmer as Carlina and Aunjanue Ellis as Ann Pettway.

The case became a symbol of both tragedy and resilience. It showed the devastating impact of infant abduction while also highlighting the determination of a young woman who refused to accept vague answers about her past.

Release of Ann Pettway

After serving nearly nine years of her 12-year sentence, Ann Pettway was released from federal custody on April 14, 2021. Her release stirred mixed emotions. For Joy White and Carl Tyson, the wound of losing their child could never fully heal. For Carlina, the woman who had raised her as “Netty” was no longer behind bars.

The release reignited discussions about justice, forgiveness, and the complexities of identity in cases of long-term abductions.

Legacy of the Case

The abduction of Carlina White remains one of the most unusual kidnapping cases in the United States. It was rare for a baby abducted from a hospital to be recovered alive decades later. Even more extraordinary was the fact that Carlina herself solved the mystery of her identity.

Her case prompted hospitals to reevaluate and strengthen security protocols, including better monitoring of maternity wards and stricter visitor policies. The story also gave strength to families of missing children, reminding them that even after decades, hope should not be abandoned.

For Carlina, her journey continues. She carries the memories of growing up under a false identity, the trauma of discovering the truth, and the joy of reconnecting with her biological family. Her resilience and courage stand as a testament to the human spirit’s capacity to endure, adapt, and survive.