Original Blog Entry: Woman calls 911 to report fake mugging so she could party

truesee — Thu, 26 May 2011 11:30:38 GMT

Burlington police investigate a mugging that wasn't

6:05 AM, May. 25, 2011

A woman called 911 Saturday and lied about being mugged to draw Burlington police away from a friend s party, according to police.

Christina Macaulay, 21, made the false report at about 1:30 a.m., while Officer Kimberly Edwards was issuing Macaulay s friend a ticket for unreasonable noise at a party on North Union Street, police said.

Several officers responded to the intersection of North Street and North Union Street where Macaulay said she had been mugged found no one and presumed Macaulay may have been incapacitated or even abducted by her so-called attacker, police said in a prepared statement.

Police said when they located Macaulay an hour later, she claimed a man stole her purse and dropped it when she gave chase. When interviewed later by investigators, Macaulay said she lied about the mugging, police said.

Macaulay pleaded not guilty to one count of obstruction of justice during her arraignment Tuesday in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington.

Her friend, Benjamin Eddington, 22, of Waltham received a ticket for unreasonable noise.

Edwards responded to the party after someone called police to report loud music coming from the North Union Street residence.

Christina Macaulay, 21, of Burlington pleaded not guilty to an obstruction of justice charge at Vermont Superior Court in Burlington on Tuesday. / EMILY McMANAMY, Free Press

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