Crime Time

Documents: Ex-weatherwoman says stress led her to file false rape report

The former New York television weatherwoman told police that the stress of work, family and her life made her make up a story that a man had tried to rape her while jogging, the New York Daily News reported.

Former WABC-TV weatherwoman Heidi Jones appeared in court Wednesday where whe was formally charged with make false reports to police -- two misdemeanor counts that could land her in prison for up a year, if she's convicted.

Jones didn't talk during Wednesday's hearing, but in a criminal complaint, prosecutors detail what she told investigators.

"I did make this up. I made it up for attention. I have so much stress at work, with my personal life and with my family. I know there is no justification for it," Jones told police on Dec. 13, according to court papers, the Daily News reported.

Jones, who also did fill-in work on Good Morning America, was fired from her job at WABC.

-- Lance Murray

TV weather woman admits filing false rape report to police

A New York television weather woman who sometimes filled in on Good Morning America has admitted that she lied months ago when she told police that she was nearly raped while jogging. 

WABC/Channel 7 has suspended Heidi Jones and is investigating, the New York Post reported.

Her co-workers went from sympathetic to outraged, The Post reported.

"It was an outrageous lie," a WABC staff member told The Post.

The paper reported that police sources said Jones admitted to making the false report because she suffered from "personal and professional pressures" and wanted "sympathy" over a personal issue.

"She was deeply unhappy, personally and professionally," a newsroom source to The Post.

-- Lance Murray

Police: Woman made up carjack tale to cover up car sex

A 23-year-old New Jersey woman has been charged with filing false reports after she told police she was injured whiles being carjacked and thrown from the vehicle, when the SUV actually crashed while she was performing a sex act on its driver, the Daily Journal reported.

The woman initially gave a harrowing account to officers about the carjacking.

But the SUV, registered to the woman's father, was found crashed and smoldering a short time later.  It was intentionally set on fire, police said.

Further questioning led to the woman's admission, the Daily Journal reported.

-- Lance Murray

Man takes a stab at missing work by stabbing himself

I've heard of lot of excuses for people missing work -- from calling in "tired," to feigning illness to stay at home.

But, stabbing yourself in the leg?

That's what police in Colorado say a Blockbuster employee in Edgewater did so that he could miss work. But worse, police say, is that he lied to them about it and caused a manhunt by five police agencies for the make-believe men who he said had attacked him outside a Target store.

His plot was foiled when security camera video revealed no attack, but did show the 29-year-old man walking around without a limp.

An Edgewater, Colo., police spokesman said the man fessed up when confronted with the evidence, or should we say lack of evidence, about the attack.  The man has been charged with false reporting and obstructing police, the Denver Post reports.

-- Lance Murray

Student's joke about gun no laughing matter to police

Police believe a student at the Watson Learning Center was making a joke, but they weren't amused.

A student allegedly joked about having a gun as the school's metal detector sounded at about 8:15 a.m. Thursday. It turns out the student was unarmed, but it took awhile to confirm that.

Meanwhile, officials at the school, 5900 Hereford Drive in northwest Fort Worth, were alarmed so they called police. The student was taken into custody for making a false report, said Lt. Paul Henderson, Fort Worth police spokesman.

"It may sound like all fun and games," he said, "but what it boils down to is putting people's safety in jeopardy."

The people in danger in these situations are the ones who make the jokes, he added.

"This came in (on police radios) as a Signal 32, which is a person with a gun," Henderson explained. "So you don't know as an officer driving up what's really going on.

"Your senses are heightened. Your adrenaline is heightened. You go into a tactical mode; you have to in order to maintain your own safety."

Any sudden or threatening moves, could draw a robust if not deadly response from police, even if they're intended as pranks, Henderson said.

"I would not recommend, even in a joking manner, to claim having any kind of weapon whether you're at the airport, or school or a court," he said.

The Texas Penal Code states that making a false report is considered a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. But, if it's done at a school, it can be kicked up to state jail felony, punishable by up to two years in a state jail and a $10,000 fine, according to the code.

-- Bill Miller