A toddler was allegedly snatched by an Uber driver and then sold to another woman for £8,000 ($9,600).

Nalani Johnson, one, was taken by Sharena Nancy, a woman with whom her dad Paul Johnson was in the beginning of an “intermittent romantic relationship” with, police say.

Mr Johnson claims when he got out of the car, which had Uber stickers on, and went to get his tot out of the car seat, the driver rapidly drove away with his daughter.

Police in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania said in a statement Nancy, 25, has been arrested and Nalani is still missing.

But Mr Johnson alleges she was sold to another woman for a huge £8,000 ($9,600).

Nalani Johnson, one, remains missing after the ordeal
Sharena Nancy, 25, has been arrested in Pennsylvania

“We miss Nalani. We want her home. If anyone has any info — it doesn’t matter how big or how small — please call into the tip line,” the toddler’s gran Taji Walsh said at the conference.

Allegheny County Police superintendent Coleman McDonough said Mr Johnson tried calling the driver’s phone multiple times, but she never picked up, so he called the emergency services at around 5pm local time on Saturday.

And Nancy was detained in the vehicle during a traffic stop around 7:30pm but officers did not find the child inside.

It’s alleged Nancy showed detectives her a photo of a black woman she was supposed to meet and asked her to drive the toddler “20 minutes” from a gas station in Monroeville along US Route 22 to meet the woman.

The toddler will turn two in less than two weeks

Nancy said she was told the woman would then “flag” her down and Nancy was to turn over the toddler, Mr Johnson says.

The suspect told detectives she encountered a silver SUV with out-of-state licence plates parked on the side of the road and did as she had been instructed, passing the toddler and the car seat over to a woman standing next to the car and then driving off. Nancy told police she saw a second woman inside the SUV.

But now Nancy is being held without bail at the Allegheny County jail.

She was arraigned on Monday after being charged with kidnapping of a minor, interference with custody of children and concealment of whereabouts of a child. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 16.