Alleged bus thief's mom blames mental illness

The mother of a woman accused of hijacking an MTA bus and joyriding around Manhattan called for more resources for residents with mental health issues Friday. Rosetta Headley says her 30-year-old daughter,

News 12 Staff

Feb 27, 2016, 8:38 AM

Updated 3,072 days ago

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The mother of a woman accused of hijacking an MTA bus and joyriding around Manhattan called for more resources for residents with mental health issues Friday.
Rosetta Headley says her 30-year-old daughter, Charita Headley, has battled schizophrenia and bipolar disorder for years.
The younger Headley is currently in police custody, charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and undergoing a mental evaluation at Elmhurst Hospital. 
Authorities say she started smoking on an M1 bust on the Upper East Side Tuesday morning. When the driver told her to stop, she allegedly became furious. 
The driver later got out of his seat to help transfer passengers to another vehicle. Headley allegedly took the wheel and drove away.
The older Headley says her daughter has been hospitalized several times due to her mental illnesses, but has been discharged after only a couple of days each time. She says she wants more resources from the city to go to people who need mental health treatment.
During his State of the City speech earlier this month, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced new and forthcoming resources for the mentally ill while decrying the stigma that surrounds such disorders.


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