Police: Towson Town Center Attempted Carjacking Was A False Report
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Tuesday night attempted armed carjacking and robbery in the Towson Town Center parking garage was a fabricated story, Baltimore County Police now say.
And the 46-year-old Parkville woman who reported it is now a suspect.
Police tell WJZ they swarmed the mall when the report came in around 5:40 p.m., but never found any suspects or witnesses.
The accuser allegedly told officers that two black men that she believed to be armed, wearing ski masks and hoodies, tried to carjack her. She said they were unsuccessful and ended up running off with her purse, police say.
Air support, K9, and additional ground support units were called to the scene in an attempt to locate the suspects, Towson Town Center Mall security officers were alerted and Towson University tweeted cautionary information to students, warning them of the nearby crime and to be vigilant.
But officials don't believe the incident actually occurred.
"We were able to review surveillance cameras from all over the mall, all over the mall parking lot," Baltimore County Police spokeswoman Jennifer Peach says. "We were able to determine that at no time does it show her entering the mall or exiting the mall."
In a statement to WJZ, the mall manager says:
"We have extensively reviewed our video footage from the time of this alleged incident and are working closely with the Baltimore County Police Department to answer some of the many questions this footage raises. We take these allegations seriously and work to create a safe and secure environment for all our guests, merchants and employees."
According to police, the woman parked her car in the garage and did not leave the car before she drove back out, and then called 911.
Police say making a false report is not only illegal, but it stops officers from responding to actual crimes and real victims.
"Nothing about her story was adding up," Peach says. "Her claim that she was the victim of an attempting carjacking and robbery is completely false."
The accuser has not given police a reason as to why she did this, and we're told she is not cooperating with police. She will not be identified until she's been formally charged.
Making a false report is a misdemeanor offense, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $500 fine.
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