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Report: Weather Anchor Got NYPD Escort After (Fake) Rape Claim
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 17, 2010
Modified Dec 17, 2010
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runwithheidi.com
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 17, 2010
Modified Dec 17, 2010
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A police source is now saying that the WABC 7 weather anchor who admitted to falsely claiming she was nearly raped in Central Park—and subsequently charged with filing a false police report—got police protection in the wake of her allegations. And two sources told the Daily News that "Jones was even contacted by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who personally apologized to the meteorologist when she said two uniformed officers refused to take a police report after the bogus Sept. 24 assault."
Jones reportedly went to the police in late November, to report that she was grabbed and nearly raped by a Hispanic man in Central Park while running (she said other parkgoers scared the man away) in September and that the man went to her apartment to threaten her in recent days. The source said, I don't know how she knows the commissioner. But she was contacted by [Kelly] and was told Internal Affairs was investigating the Central Park Precinct." The NYPD denies that, but the source claims Jones got the VIP treatment:
"Six detectives spent three weeks "taking her wherever she needed to go," the source said.
Some of the places included a flea market at Union Square, restaurants around the city, movie theaters and even walks with her dog on the West Side Highway, near where she lives, the source said.
The sometimes fill-in for "Good Morning America" also was driven to work by police.
"We don't do it on a typical victim," the source said. "We just don't provide that kind of assistance."
However, Jones roused suspicions when she "continued to flake out of meetings about her case with Internal Affairs detectives and prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney's office" and "Detectives grew even more suspicious of Jones' vague story when they listened to conversations she had with her sister during the rides."
Jones ultimately admitted her ruse after cops—who spent time viewing surveillance footage for the attacker—confronted her. She faces a $1000 fine and a year in jail if found guilty. Jones has been suspended from WABC 7, which says it is also investigating internally. Her WABC 7 coworkers are reportedly shocked and feel betrayed.
Tagged
central park
fake rape
heidi jones
internal affairs
nypd
WABC 7
wild goose chase
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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