Oct 24, 2008 12:45 pm US/Pacific
Pa. Police: McCain Worker Lied, Injured Self
Ashley Todd, 20, is now facing charges for filing a false report to police
PITTSBURGH (CBS) ―
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Todd initially told investigators she was attempting to use a bank branch ATM when the man approached her from behind, put a knife with a 4- to 5-inch blade to her throat and demanded money. (File)
KDKA
Police sources tell CBS station KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh that a campaign worker has now confessed to making up a story that a mugger attacked her and cut the letter "B" in her face after seeing her McCain bumper sticker.
At a news conference this afternoon, officials said they believe the woman's injuries were self-inflicted.
Ashley Todd, 20, is now facing charges for filing a false report to police.
According to Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Diane Richard, Todd told investigators today that she "was not robbed and there was no
6'4" black male attacker."
Todd initially told investigators she was attempting to use a bank branch ATM when the man approached her from behind, put a knife with a 4- to 5-inch blade to her throat and demanded money. She told police she handed the assailant $60 and walked away.
Todd told investigators that she suspected the man then noticed a
John McCain sticker on her car, became angry and punched her in the back of the head, knocking her to the ground and telling her "you are going to be a Barack supporter," police said.
She said he continued to punch and kick her while threatening "to teach her a lesson for being a McCain supporter," police said. She said he then sat on her chest, pinned her hands down with his knees and scratched a backward letter "B" into her face with a dull knife.
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.
Police investigating the alleged attack began to notice some inconsistencies in her story and administered a polygraph test.
Investigators asked Todd to return to the police station today for more questioning and to help them release a composite sketch of the suspect.
When she did, police say she admitted that she made the whole thing up and that it snowballed out of control.
Todd told investigators today that she "just wanted to tell the truth" – adding that she was neither robbed, nor attacked.
Todd told police that while she did not remember how the backward "B" got on her face, she may have done it herself since she was the only one in the car when she saw it.
"She indicated that she has prior mental problems and that she does not
remember how the backward letter B got on her face," Richard told
reporters today.
According to police, Todd said she thought of Barack Obama when she saw the "B" in her rearview mirror.
Officials say they do not believe any other people were involved; and Todd's friends believed the story about the attack – encouraging her to call police.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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