"Missing" Pennsylvania woman Chloe Stein has been charged in connection with faking her own disappearance after abandoning her car, police said.
A "missing" Pennsylvania woman wasn't missing at all, according to police, who said she instead faked her own disappearance and falsely claimed she had been abducted.
Chloe Stein, 23, has been charged with misdemeanor counts including making false reports, disorderly conduct and obstruction of administration of law, according to online court records in Westmoreland County.
She was released on $25,000 bail Wednesday, the court records say. Her next scheduled court date is a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 25. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges, her attorney tells Inside Edition Digital.
“My client and her family are grateful for the support and kindness of all concerning recent events, and to that end respectfully request privacy at this time," Stein's attorney, Phillip DiLucente, responded via email to a request for comment from Inside Edition Digital on Wednesday.
Stein reportedly was last seen about 10:35 p.m. on Monday as she left a Sonic restaurant where she worked, police said.
While driving home, she texted her boyfriend to say she was being pulled over, according to state police.
Her abandoned Volkswagen Beetle was found on a road and her family reported her missing, authorities said.
On Tuesday night, after receiving a tip, state police said they found her at an acquaintance's home and took her in for questioning. After initially saying she had been kidnapped at gunpoint by a man wearing a mask, Stein allegedly acknowledged making the whole thing up, police said.
Tens of thousands of dollars were spent searching for the woman, state trooper Steve Limani told local reporters.
“She was at a residence. She knew people were looking for her,” Limani said. “She knew that the way she described the event ... would cause alarm.”
Stein was believed to be graduating from Penn State University, but police said college officials told investigators she had not attended classes in 18 months.
