Nov. 08--A 21-year-old Beach Park woman was charged with making a false police report after she allegedly decided to claim someone had stolen her crashed car.
On Oct. 23, Nancy Facundo, of the 38200 block of North Sheridan Road, told police her 2002 Dodge Durango had been stolen from her home, according to a news release from the Lake County sheriff's office.
The following morning, Waukegan police found the car, which had been involved in a hit and run accident, crashed in a creek near North Jackson Street and Low Avenue in Waukegan, police said.
Waukegan police thought some evidence in Facundo's car appeared "staged," police said. According to the statement, Facundo later told officers she'd falsely claimed the car was stolen after she lost control and crashed in the creek.
Facundo was the only person involved in the crash and was not injured, said Detective Christopher Covelli with the Lake County sheriff's office. Waukegan police charged her with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and leaving the scene of an accident, Covelli said.
She was arrested Tuesday and was charged with one count of falsely reporting a vehicle theft and disorderly conduct for making a false police report by the Lake County sheriff's office, both felonies. Her next court date is scheduled for Nov. 23.
lzumbach@tribpub.com
