WABC weathercaster Heidi Jones has admitted to New York City police that she lied to them about an attempted rape. Jones now faces a charge of filing a false report in connection with her story that she narrowly escaped a would-be rapist while jogging in Central Park.
On November 24, according to the New York Post, Jones approached police saying that she had been dragged into a wooded area by a hispanic man who had tried to rape her before he was scared off by two passers-by. The story drew skepticism from the police since Jones did not approach them until two months after the attack allegedly occurred. Jones, 37, even told police that the attacker tracked her down months after the attack, convinced that she had reported the incident.
Finding no hard evidence after an extensive investigation into her claims, police met with Jones and she admitted to them that she had made the whole thing up. According to the Post’s sources, Jones said that a personal setback had led her to concoct the story.
Jones joined WABC in 2005 and serves as the ABC-affiliate’s weekend weather anchor. She is an avid runner and details her enthusiasm for the sport on her personal website. On the site, Jones lists her personal motto: “If you knew you wouldn’t fail, what would you try?”