City Attorney Mike Feuer recently announced that his office has successfully secured a conviction and a 60-day jail sentence against a Los Angeles woman for falsely reporting to police a carjacking allegedly involving the kidnapping of her 16-year old stepson which triggered an Amber Alert.
“Making a false criminal report is a serious offense with real consequences. It squanders precious law enforcement resources that should be devoted to solving actual crimes,” said Feuer. “And here, this reckless and irresponsible action triggered an Amber Alert that diverted attention throughout our region.”
Charline Gatson, 26, entered a plea of no contest to one count of filing a false police report. Gaston was sentenced to 36 months of probation, 60 days in county jail as well as a $220 fine. A restitution hearing will be scheduled for a later date.
On July 6, Gatson allegedly reported that her vehicle was stolen at gunpoint from her Vermont Knolls neighborhood in South Los Angeles near 47th and Figueroa Street. In her report, Gaston alleged that her teenage stepson was in the vehicle at the time triggering an Amber Alert. Police later found the vehicle and determined that Gatson’s police report was false and no carjacking had occurred and the stepson was not involved. Gaston was subsequently arrested and booked at LAPD’s 77th Station.
At the time of her arrest Gatson also was wanted on an arrest warrant for failing to appear in court for a restitution hearing on a 2015 conviction for auto theft.
Deputy City Attorney Bethelwel Wilson successfully prosecuted the case.