Baltimore County Police said Thursday that the woman who reported a carjacking outside of Towson Town Center on Tuesday afternoon made up the whole story. In fact, they say they have video of her parking her car, never leaving her car, and then driving away from the parking lot before calling police to report the carjacking.
She described the assailants as two black males who were wearing hoodies and black ski masks.
(The Flyer had not published the alleged crime because police said they could not confirm the incident; however, it was widely reported in other outlets.)
The full police statement is below:
“Baltimore County Police have determined that a report of an attempted armed carjacking in the parking structure at Towson Town Center Mall Tuesday evening is a false report.
Police responded to a parking lot across from the mall around 5:40 p.m. on November 14 when a 46-year-old Parkville woman reported an armed robbery/attempted carjacking had just occurred. She initially stated that as she exited the mall she saw the two suspects lurking among the parked cars, who then approached her as she opened her car door. They demanded her vehicle, and she believed they had a handgun but didn’t specifically see one. She stated she refused to give them her keys but gave them her purse instead, which they took and fled on foot.
Air support, K9, and additional ground support units were called to the scene in an attempt to locate the suspects, which she described as black males with black hooded sweatshirts, jeans, and both wearing black ski masks. Towson Town Center Mall security officers were alerted and Towson University Tweeted cautionary information to students, warning them of the nearby crime and to be vigilant.
As the investigation continued, the information the victim gave to police began to change. Her account of events evolved into a handgun being pointed at her and money being demanded. Investigators were able to obtain surveillance video showing the victim driving onto the lot and parking, but never leaving her vehicle before driving back out of the parking lot just before calling police.
Police are seeking charges against the victim for falsely reporting a crime. Her motive for falsely reporting the incident is still unknown as she has become uncooperative with detectives.”
-Kris Henry,
Towson Flyer