By JOE MANDAK, AP
PITTSBURGH (Oct. 24) - A McCain campaign volunteer made up a story of being robbed, pinned to the ground and having the letter "B" scratched on her face in a politically inspired attack, police said Friday.
Ashley Todd, 20-year-old college student from College Station, Texas, admitted Friday that the story was false and was being charged with making a false report to police, said Maurita Bryant, the assistant chief of the police department's investigations division. Police doubted her story from the start, Bryant said.
Todd, who is white, told police she was attacked by a 6-foot-4 black man Wednesday night. She now can't explain why she invented the story, Bryant said.
Todd also told police she believes she cut the backward "B" onto her own cheek, but she didn't explain how or why, Bryant said.
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.
The Associated Press could not immediately locate Todd's family.
Bryant said somebody charged with making a false report would typically be cited and sent a summons. But because police have concerns about Todd's mental health, they are consulting with the Allegheny County District Attorney.
Todd remained in custody, and police were preparing to charge her with making a false report to police.
"We had some serious cases going on, and this wasted so much time," Bryant said. "Our detectives have been working through the night just to verify the information we suspected was false from the beginning."
Todd worked in New York for the College Republican National Committee before moving two weeks ago to Pennsylvania, where her duties included recruiting college students, the committee's executive director, Ethan Eilon, has said.
Eilon declined to comment on the investigation Friday or to help The Associated Press contact Todd.
Earlier Friday, police said they had found inconsistencies in Todd's story. They gave her a lie-detector test, but wouldn't release the polygraph results. Investigators also said bank surveillance photos did not back up the woman's initial story of being attacked at an ATM.
Police interviewed Todd after she contacted police Wednesday night and again on Thursday, Bryant said. They asked her to come back Friday, ostensibly to help police put together a sketch of the man. Instead, detectives began interviewing her.
"They just started talking to her and she just opened up and said she wanted to tell the truth," Bryant said.
Bryant said it doesn't appear that anyone else put the woman up to the false report.
Police suspected all along that Todd might not be telling the truth, starting with the fact that the "B" was backward, Bryant said.
"We have robbers here in Pittsburgh, but they don't generally mutilate someone's face like that," Bryant said. "They just take the money and run."
it sounds right when you're drunk. and i am pretty drunk right now. so he's probably right. while being drunk. and such. period, and period
Trancealot
quote:
Originally posted by jupiterone
it sounds right when you're drunk. and i am pretty drunk right now. so he's probably right. while being drunk. and such. period, and period
"I could'nt agree with him more" :p
your damn right PA sucks Ass!!!!! :wtf:
Just kidding. PA has "It's always sunny in Philedelphia"
Rocky Balboa statue, Skiing, Dorney Park, Steelers and Eagles.
What else could you want in a state! :)
i'm getting myself all hogged out and anxious looking at polls on liberal media like CNN...
it's good to know that true blue Republicans have the word on the street before everyone else :)
even if i am pro obama SNL's liberal tactics are not the reason... in fact, they're making me pro mccain! it's like what good does it do anyone if you make fun of someone like mccain? what good does it do to look at a small fraction of the real picture and start poking fun at someone who has returned from a war and has suffered a few injuries while held captive as a POW and make him look like a senile old man who is "out of touch" with the world? why don't you go back to critiquing Hollywood's fashion sense because that's what you're good at?! if you know nothing about war, do you feel justified in making fun of a war veteran?
idiocy, i tell you! get your facts straight before you start making sweeping characterizations... because the only one who will be embarrassed will be you, if you don't really know what's goin' on!
oh, and another thing, it's really making me sad to see how the Democratic party is trying to play the "old people suck, young people rule" tactic and trying to force little kids to "educate" their parents and grandparents... just because Blake Lively and Penn Bagdley say something, should we all jump ship and follow their recommendation? what do they know about governing a country anyway? they're barely legal! sure, just take candy from the little kids... get their vote, what do they really know about national security and the economy and that stuff anyway?
and you won't believe the satisfaction on my face come election day when the whole world gets proved WRONG!
that'll teach you to make fun of Wall Street...
even ppl like Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien will be red in the face... saying, shucks, i got suckered in too...
because the people who will make the decision will be Christian white people... and that is the number that counts in this election...
just wait... see what happens...
this is coming from someone who is VERY upset that mccain didn't choose romney for VP!
in any case, i'm not discrediting palin at all... i think that if people trust mccain, palin will bridge the gap between the white house and the issues of americans far and wide...
i'm getting myself all hogged out and anxious looking at polls on liberal media like CNN...
it's good to know that true blue Republicans have the word on the street before everyone else :)
even if i am pro obama SNL's liberal tactics are not the reason... in fact, they're making me pro mccain! it's like what good does it do anyone if you make fun of someone like mccain? what good does it do to look at a small fraction of the real picture and start poking fun at someone who has returned from a war and has suffered a few injuries while held captive as a POW and make him look like a senile old man who is "out of touch" with the world? why don't you go back to critiquing Hollywood's fashion sense because that's what you're good at?! if you know nothing about war, do you feel justified in making fun of a war veteran?
idiocy, i tell you! get your facts straight before you start making sweeping characterizations... because the only one who will be embarrassed will be you, if you don't really know what's goin' on!
oh, and another thing, it's really making me sad to see how the Democratic party is trying to play the "old people suck, young people rule" tactic and trying to force little kids to "educate" their parents and grandparents... just because Blake Lively and Penn Bagdley say something, should we all jump ship and follow their recommendation? what do they know about governing a country anyway? they're barely legal! sure, just take candy from the little kids... get their vote, what do they really know about national security and the economy and that stuff anyway?
and you won't believe the satisfaction on my face come election day when the whole world gets proved WRONG!
that'll teach you to make fun of Wall Street...
even ppl like Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien will be red in the face... saying, shucks, i got suckered in too...
because the people who will make the decision will be Christian white people... and that is the number that counts in this election...
just wait... see what happens...
this is coming from someone who is VERY upset that mccain didn't choose romney for VP!
:stongue:
McCain "could" win.
He won't.
spacechica
quote:
Originally posted by R.j.
:stongue:
McCain "could" win.
He won't.
did you see the Newsmax title: "'‘GOP Strategist: McCain Will Win'"?
ToF
quote:
Originally posted by R.j.
:stongue:
McCain "could" win.
He won't.
You never know.
McCain has the fact he's non-negro, non-terrorist, non Muslim, and most of all non-"President OHHHBAARRMAAA" on his side.
And knowing the intelligence of the great nation I must say I don't have a great deal of confidence for the black man.
spacechica
quote:
Originally posted by ToF
You never know.
McCain has the fact he's non-negro, non-terrorist, non Muslim, and most of all non-"President OHHHBAARRMAAA" on his side.
And knowing the intelligence of the great nation I must say I don't have a great deal of confidence for the black man.
ToF, i would caution against using "negro" if you're not black... it sounds derogatory IMO
i am not against obama but i have to say, with mccain you really won't go too wrong... and i believe in the saying "if you think it's bad now, it can always get worse."
i am with whoever cares more about the future of America... and with whoever says that getting on China's case about their non-existent human rights is really important and that telling them to get off of America's economy is a great suggestion and one which will be acted upon... it depends on which candidate is willing to step up to the towering red giant...and ask it to undergo a major makeover before it is allowed to start playing ball with the big boys...as far as i'm concerned, Sen. Clinton and Sen. Biden have both spoken favorably of China...
spacechica
quote:
Originally posted by jdat
politics is kind of shady so you can't trust anything, you can't trust the media, you can't trust the scripted speeches, you can't even trust acts like these because it could be that this person tried to defame mccain or it could be that this person feels scared about the possibility that this might happen to her... or she could be possessed... the only thing you can trust is your own instinct, the principles you stand for, and the prevailing imagery from the demeanor of the candidates after stints on live television... i am relying on the belief that the majority of the voters will be putting america's interests before their own... and that whoever becomes the next president will put america's interests before his own.
DjWhooCares
quote:
Originally posted by spacechica
did you see the Newsmax title: "'‘GOP Strategists : McCain Will Win'"?
