Thursday, May 28, 2009

Kidnapping: The Story behind the Hoax

Tuesday, May 26th, Bonnie Sweeten contacted Philadelphia police to report her own kidnapping; an audibly upset Sweeten - mother of four - claimed she and her 9-year old daughter, Julia Rakowczy, were thrown into a car trunk by 2 black men.

As it was later discovered, Sweeten stole a co-worker's driver's license, and it used it to leave the state. She purchased plane tickets and flew along with her daughter to Orlando, FL - where they were eventually found and taken into custody. Sweeten was registered - at the Grand Floridian - through May 29th.

Sweeten's husband and friends suspect personal problems, and there is some speculation that the money she used to finance the trip - some $12,000 she withdrew from her and her husband's accounts - may have been stolen. Sweeten is being held on misdemeanor charges of identity theft and filing a false report.

- AP, CNN.com