Cops: Woman Tried To Avoid Ticket With Lie About Dying Mother, Phony 911 Call
BAY SHORE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Long Island woman pulled over for speeding is accused of lying about a fake family emergency to get out of a ticket.
When the officer didn't believe her, police say she came up with an even wilder story.
Suffolk County Police said it all began on Sunrise Highway early Thursday morning when an officer stopped 43-year-old Alfreda Chaplin of Bay Shore for speeding.
Police said when they pulled her over Chaplin told officers she was racing to the hospital to see her dying mother.
The skeptical officer told Chaplin he would follow her to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital to confirm her story.
Police said on the way there, Chaplin called 911 on her cell phone and gave the dispatcher a phony name and address to claim she'd been assaulted at gunpoint, in hopes that the officer on her tail would be called away.
But because of GPS, authorities know where a 911 call comes from so instead, she was stopped a second time and arrested.
"Very sad, very creative, but very sad," Kim Smith said.
Neighbors were sickened that Chaplin allegedly invoked a dying grandmother to get out of a speeding ticket, followed up by a phony 911 call.
"That's a waste of police time. There are real incidents that are happening that they could be taking care of to help people in need," Arleica Holder said.
Some Long Islander said if the charges are true, Chaplin made a traffic infraction far worse by lying.
"I would have stopped for the ticket, so you get beat for a ticket, what are you going to do?" Ron Trotta said.
Family members inside Chaplin's Bay Shore home did not want to speak. Her attorney said she plans to plead not guilty.
Besides the speeding charge, Chaplin faces possible jail time if also found guilty of falsely reporting a crime.
Chaplin is free on bail, but is due in court next month.
