McCain campaign volunteer admits alleged "B" face scar attack was a hoax

Pittsburgh, Oct 25 : A woman who lied about being attacked because of the McCain bumper sticker on her car will face charges of filing a false report.

Police now have the answer to the most important question behind a 20-year-old McCain campaign volunteer's claim that she was attacked by a robber who carved a "B" into her cheek when he saw a McCain bumper sticker on her car.

It was a hoax, FOX News reported.

Ashley Todd, 20, of College Station, Tex., confessed to lying, Pittsburgh police said on Friday, and she will be charged with filing a false report, a misdemeanor.

But questions remain about why Todd lied, and even she doesn't seem to know how she received the markings on her face.

"She told lie after lie, and the situation compounded to where we are right now," said Lt. Kevin Kraus, head of major crimes for the Pittsburgh Police.

She remained at police headquarters on Friday afternoon, because police "have concern for her well-being," Kraus said. He said officials are trying to determine whether she needs psychiatric evaluation.

Todd, who is White, had told police that on Wednesday night a Black man robbed her of 60 dollar at an ATM in Bloomfield, Pa.

She said the robber then noticed the McCain bumper sticker on her car, punched her in the back of her head, knocked her down and beat her, saying you are going to be a Barack supporter.

He pinned her down and scratched the "B" on the right side of her face before fleeing, according to her original story.

On Friday, officials said they had found several "inconsistencies" in Todd's statements. She was brought back to police headquarters, where she finally confessed that she had made the entire story up.

"After a while, she just simply stated that she wanted to tell the truth," said Maurita Bryant, assistant chief for investigations.

Todd confessed to police that she was driving alone, looked in the mirror, saw her black eye and the "B" on her face, and didn't know how they got there.

She assumed she could have done it herself, she said, and then she made up the story about the attacker.

Police had been working on the case since it broke on Thursday, Bryant said, and "it's been a huge waste of time and man hours."

Police said Todd did not have a lawyer, and that her none of her family were in Pittsburgh.

ANI