NORTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A woman accused in a hostage hoax faced a judge Thursday after police say she called them claiming that she was being held inside of a Norton apartment. The call prompted a massive emergency response.
When SWAT crews arrived at the apartment complex Wednesday around 3 a.m., some tenants were evacuated, while others were locked down in their units.
“People with guns were running around here. It was scary, it really was,” Gerard Bergeron said.
The chaotic scene played out because a woman called 911, claiming she and her children were being held inside by a man with a gun, police say.
But authorities say the whole story was a fabrication, made up by heartbroken 36-year old Alicia Mitchell.
“She admitted that yes she made that call and that she was upset about a breakup. She wanted her stuff back,” said assistant Bristol County district attorney, Mary Elizabeth Mack.
The prosecutor says Mitchell called police pretending to be her ex-girlfriend who lives in the complex, and that she used real information about a restraining order her ex had against a man to concoct the “make-believe” crime.
“The caller texted a gun and described physical abuse she suffered, informing police several times to break down the door,” Mack said.
After repeatedly trying to get to the people in the apartment, authorities busted down the door, surprising the ex-girlfriend and three other adults inside.
Police say the ex-girlfriend gave them Mitchell’s phone number, which they say was the same number used to make the initial 911 call. They traced the number to Boston, where they arrested Mitchell for falsely reporting a crime.
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