Crime & Safety
Woman Claiming to Be Kidnapped Winds up Facing Charges
The following information was provided by the Strongsville police department
A woman called for help early June 19, claiming she was being held hostage in a car and sending police officers up and down Interstate 71 searching for her.
In the end, the woman was the only one arrested.
A report said the woman called dispatchers about 12:30 a.m., saying she was in a car on southbound I-71 and being held hostage by a Hispanic man and woman. She then hung up, saying they knew she was on the phone.
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A dispatcher called back and the woman said she couldn't answer questions because her captors had knives. But she then said they were pulling into on Royalton Road; she said she was running away and the man was chasing her.
Police arrived to find all of them standing in the parking lot -- the kidnappers confused and weaponless and the "victim" highly intoxicated.
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Detective Lt. John Janowski said the woman had been at a friend's birthday party on the Goodtime II and had asked the couple for a ride home. She told police she had had between nine and 20 drinks at the party.
On the way, she became upset and convinced she was being abducted. The couple pulled into Friday's because their passenger was so upset.
"She had us searching I-71, looking for the car," Janowski said. "Any time you get a call like that, you have to take it seriously."
The woman, 44, was charged with making a false police report and disorderly conduct.
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