PGPD Charges UMD Student With False Statement

The Prince George’s County Police Department arrested a University of Maryland student who had claimed she was robbed at gunpoint. The student now admits to fabricating the entire story.

On February 5, 2013, around 12:15 am, police officers responded to the 4500 block of Paint Branch Parkway in College Park for the report of an armed robbery.  Once on scene, police officers interviewed the alleged victim, 18 year-old Teshauna Nicole Jones of the 8100 block of Baltimore Avenue in College Park.  Jones told police officers she had just been robbed at gunpoint as she walked home from the College Park Metro station.  A significant number of police officers and a K-9 team responded and searched for the alleged suspect. 

While reviewing surveillance footage, detectives determined the events as described by Jones did not occur.  Detectives subsequently re-interviewed Jones who then admitted to falsely reporting the crime because she owed a relative money.

On February 8, 2013, the PGPD charged Jones with making a false statement to a police officer.

The Prince George's County Police Department takes seriously all reported crimes and thoroughly investigates each such report.  PGPD detectives made arrests in two recent cases in College Park.  Police officers arrested three suspects on the scene of an armed robbery the morning of January 27, 2013, on Baltimore Avenue.  On February 6, 2013, police officers also made an arrest in a January 27th attempted robbery inside an apartment building in the 8100 block of Baltimore Avenue. The victims in both cases are University of Maryland students.  The Prince George's County Police Department works closely with the University of Maryland Police Department on all cases involving the University of Maryland.