SANTA ANA (CNS) - A woman who was found bound and gagged inside a vacant home in Santa Ana and claimed she had been kidnapped later said she made the story up because she was squatting inside the home and did not want to be arrested, police reported this morning.
“Homicide Detectives questioned her and determined the kidnapping portion of the case at 315 E. Warner (Ave.) has been unfounded,” police said. “The investigation is ongoing into any criminal activity that may have taken place inside the Warner address.”
City maintenance workers went to the home, which is property of the city, at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday and found the woman, according to Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.
“They saw there was a padlock on the door, which is not supposed to be there,” Bertagna said. “Then they heard some moaning inside and found a woman in a bedroom bound and gagged.”
She claimed she had been kidnapped earlier in the day, Bertagna said.
It was unclear how the woman became bound and gagged. She was not injured.