Mosser charged with filing false report
A woman who told police she was grabbed by an unknown man on Pickens Street Tuesday morning ended up in jail by the afternoon, accused of making the story up.
Rachel Mosser, 18, is charged with filing a false police report and false swearing. She faces felony charges, up to five years in prison and fines of up to $1,000. Mosser is listed as a political science student in USC’s online directory.
Mosser initially told police she was grabbed by a black man in his 30s around 10:30 a.m. on the 600 block of Pickens Street, between Blossom and Greene streets and near the Women’s Quad, according to Columbia police spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons. After sweeping the area, USC and Columbia police officers didn’t find the man.
USC’s Division of Law Enforcement and Safety canceled its crime alert at 5:15 p.m., saying the student had confessed to police.
“The suspect tied up valuable law enforcement resources, time and energy in trying to locate the so-called suspect,” interim Columbia Police Chief Ruben Santiago said in the release. “This case should be a clear example of how lying to police will get you in trouble every time. The suspect is now headed to jail, facing felony charges for making up a crime.”
The Division of Law Enforcement and Safety posted a crime alert about the reported kidnapping attempt around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. Carolina Alert subscribers received multiple text messages about the report and updates throughout the day.