Crime & Safety
DA Charges Woman Who Allegedly Made Up Kidnapping
Christina Vasquez, 19, of Murrieta, was charged March 12 with a misdemeanor after she allegedly made up a story about being kidnapped and beaten by two men.
A Murrieta woman whom police allege will face a misdemeanor charge.
The Riverside County District Attorney's Office has formally charged Christina Vasquez, 19, with a misdemeanor for filing a false police report.
Vasquez flagged down a jogger Jan. 7 as she lie in a field in Old Town Temecula, allegedly claiming she had been physically assaulted by two men who had taken her against her will as she walked home from work in Murrieta the day before, Murrieta police said.
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Her family had reported her missing at about 2 a.m. Jan. 7, and she was found in the field at about 1 p.m. that day.
Police were unable to corroborate her story after a thorough investigation, Murrieta police Sgt. Phil Gomez said at the time.
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Vasquez reportedly admitted to police that she made up the story, when in fact she had spent the night with her boyfriend in Orange County, Gomez said.
The DA's office filed the charge against Vasquez March 12.
"We have reviewed the evidence and filed the charge we believe to be appropriate in this case," said John Hall, spokesperson for the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.
Vasquez is due to be arraigned April 26, at which time she may plead guilty or not guilty.
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