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When Nancy Salas suspiciously made herself disappear on Wednesday, prompting a police search, she probably didn't expect a galore of media attention. What was first a Glendale police investigation into a UCLA student who went for a run and never came back soon turned into an investigation that revealed deception -- she was no longer a student. Finally, on Thursday afternoon, the 22-year-old was found in Merced, a few hours north of the Los Angeles area. Now the reason why she did it is out: she "invented a kidnapping hoax to avoid telling her parents that she had been lying to them about college," according to the LA Times. Apparently, she had been telling friends and family that she would be graduating for a year, going so far as to blogging about "the stress of homework and finals" and applying for graduate school. Salas got to Merced by taking a bus from Union Station. Once there and feeling alone, she entered a flooring store and asked employees to call 911 -- she had been kidnapped, she said.
While Glendale police will not press charges, Meced authorities may for reporting a false crime.
