California Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
Lori Christina Armstrong was charged with a misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime to officers. Last month, Armstrong claimed that she had been kidnapped from a bus stop in Santa Ana after the suspects put a rag on her face that made her unconscious. She said that she kept waking up and blacking out in an apartment and at one point thought she had been raped. She claimed that later that day the men put her in the car and dumped her in Anaheim. She went to the police station and reported the crime. During follow up interviews she admitted to officers that she had made up the story. The motive behind the lie is unknown.
Lying to officers is a crime, whether it be about your name, where you live, what you are doing or about a crime. The problem with falsely reporting a crime is that police put a lot of their time and effort into finding the alleged suspects of the “crime.” They also may arrest people that have not committed any crime.
The motive behind lying varies on the person. Sometimes people do not say their true name because they have a past that they do not want officers to know about. Others may make up stories to the police in order to cover up their own misdeeds. I have come across a few people that have lied about being raped or kidnapped to cover up an affair. If they claim they have been raped or kidnapped instead of being unfaithful, their husband or boyfriend will likely not leave them. There are many other reasons why people lie to officers, but they almost always get caught. Do not lie to police officers.
Whether you live in Santa Ana, Laguna Niguel or Villa Park, if you are charged with lying to officers, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you.