Salas May Face Criminal Charges in Merced for Kidnap Hoax

Authorities in Merced are considering reversing their initial decision to decline to file charges against 22-year-old Glendale resident Nancy Salas, reports the News-Press. Salas, who faked her own disappearance last week, contacted the Merced Police Department from a carpet store and claimed she'd been kidnapped, and did not reveal her story to be a hoax until she was escorted home by members of the Glendale Police Department.Locally, the Glendale PD mounted an extensive search for the young woman, who revealed she'd fled home and faked her abduction because she couldn't face her family, who thought she was preparing to graduate from UCLA and pursue a Master's degree. Salas, in fact, had dropped out of UCLA in 2008, and had been deceiving not only her family, but also her friends, former classmates, and her pastor and fellow parishoners at her church. Although they used helicopters, hounds, and several detectives to comb the hills, Glendale PD won't press charges because Salas did not break the law.

However, filing a false report is illegal, and now Merced is taking a deeper look at the Salas incident, and are preparing an evaluative report which will help them determine if they will press charges. Merced Lt. Andrew Matthews expains: “We decided to take a second look at all the information we had and listen to the 911 tape, Based on that information, we determined a report should be sent to the district attorney and let them determine if charges should be filed.” Filing a false police report is a misdemeanor, and Salas could be sentenced to up to a year in county jail if found guilty.

Previously: It's the Taxpayers Who Will Foot the Bill for Salas' Kidnapping Hoax