Exclusive: Friend Of Runaway Mom Speaks Out About Her Life In Florida
by Todd Quinones
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It appears Brenda Heist created a whole different reality for herself down south.
According to her friend, it was a world where she never had kids and her husband was dead.
Brenda Heist was apparently living a total lie in Florida.
READ: Complete Coverage Of Brenda Heist
In Pensacola where she worked cleaning houses, she went by the name Lovie Smith and had a boyfriend according to one friend who wants to remain anonymous.
"Can't believe she was being so dishonest... can't believe she had kids," said her friend.
Heist abandoned her son and daughter in Lititz, Pennsylvania in 2002. They were just 12 and 8 years old at the time.
After her reemergence a week ago, we interviewed both of her children who say they do not want to speak to their mom at this point, but that they may change their minds in a few months.
Apparently in Brenda's new reality she created down south, her kids never existed.
"She didn't want children, she didn't like children and never had children. That's what she told me," said her friend.
And despite her tales - her ex-husband Lee Smith is alive and well and has remarried - but you wouldn't know that from the sympathetic stories Brenda Heist was reportedly spinning in Florida, telling people she was a heartbroken widow.
"She spoke mostly about her husband and how much she really loved him and she was devastated that he died," said her friend.
Heist is not facing any charges in Lititz for abandoning her family.
However, she does have a criminal past in Florida.
She was convicted of stealing the identity of a woman whose house she cleaned.
