[Rhodes22-list] McCain volunteer made up robbery story

[Lowe, Rob]

How bizarre. - rob

 

 

 

October 24, 2008 

Police: McCain volunteer made up robbery story 

By JOE MANDAK   Associated Press Writer 

A McCain campaign volunteer made up a story of being robbed, pinned to
the ground and having the letter "B" scratched on her face in what she
had said was a politically inspired attack, police said Friday.

Ashley Todd, 20-year-old college student from College Station, Texas,
admitted Friday that the story was false, said Maurita Bryant, the
assistant chief of the police department's investigations division. Todd
was charged with making a false report to police, and Bryant said police
doubted her story from the start.

Dressed in an orange hooded sweat shirt, Todd left police headquarters
in handcuffs late Friday and did not respond to questions from
reporters. The mark on her face was faded and her left eye was slightly
blackened when she arrived in district court.

Todd was awaiting arraignment Friday on the misdemeanor false-report
charge, which is punishable by up to two years in prison. She will be
housed in a mental health unit at the county jail for her safety and
because of "her not insignificant mental health issues," prosecutor Mark
Tranquilli said.

Todd initially told investigators she was attempting to use a bank
branch ATM on Wednesday night when a 6-foot-4 black man approached her
from behind, put a knife blade to her throat and demanded money. She
told police she handed the assailant $60 and walked away.

Todd, who is white, told investigators she suspected the man then
noticed a John McCain sticker on her car. She said the man punched her
in the back of the head, knocked her to the ground and scratched a
backward letter "B" into her face with a dull knife.

Police said Todd claimed the man told her that he was going to "teach
her a lesson" for supporting the Republican presidential candidate, and
that she was going to become a supporter of Democratic candidate Barack
Obama.

Todd told police she didn't seek medical attention, but instead went to
a friend's apartment nearby and called police about 45 minutes later.

Todd could provide no explanation for why she invented the story, police
said. The woman told investigators she believes she cut the "B" onto her
own cheek, but did not provide an explanation of how or why and said she
doesn't remember doing so, police said.

Police said the woman reported suffering from "mental problems" in the
past, and that they do not believe anyone put her up to the act.

Tranquilli said Todd will remain jailed over the weekend pending a
psychiatric evaluation, which won't happen until Monday at the earliest.

The Associated Press could not immediately locate Todd's family.

Bryant said somebody charged with making a false report would typically
be cited and sent a summons. But because police have concerns about
Todd's mental health, they are consulting with the Allegheny County
District Attorney.

Todd worked in New York for the College Republican National Committee
before moving two weeks ago to Pennsylvania, where her duties included
recruiting college students, the committee's executive director, Ethan
Eilon, has said.

"We are as upset as anyone to learn of her deceit, Ashley must take full
responsibility for her actions," College Republican National Committee
spokeswoman Ashley Barbera said in a statement.

Police reported Todd's claims Thursday, as a photo of her injuries made
it onto numerous blogs and news sites. By Friday, police said they had
found inconsistencies in Todd's story. They gave her a lie-detector
test, but wouldn't release the polygraph results.

Police interviewed Todd after she contacted police Wednesday night and
again on Thursday, Bryant said. They asked her to come back Friday,
ostensibly to help police put together a sketch of the man. Instead,
detectives began interviewing her.

"They just started talking to her and she just opened up and said she
wanted to tell the truth," Bryant said.

Police suspected all along that Todd might not be telling the truth,
starting with the fact that the "B" was backward, Bryant said.

"We have robbers here in Pittsburgh, but they don't generally mutilate
someone's face like that," Bryant said. "They just take the money and
run."