Woman Arrested for Faking Rape: Wanted to Move to Better Part of Town

I have heard of many hoaxes, but a recent case in Sacramento, California definitely tops the list for being peculiar.  Laurie Ann Martinez, a female psychologist for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation recently was arrested for faking a burglary and her own rape.  Her motive: to convince her husband to move to a safer neighborhood.

More details regarding the story include Martinez creating a scene where items from her home were missing, her blouse was ripped, her lip split, her knuckles scraped, and her face bruised.  Martinez told police that she came home to find a stranger inside, who then hit her in the face; she was unconscious and when she woke up, she found herself on the floor with her pants and underwear pulled to her ankles.

The hoax was revealed by Martinez’s co-worker, who overheard Martinez talk about the plan.  Martinez was arrested and then admitted to police that she stored the missing items at a friend’s home and abused herself in order to create a “beaten up” appearance.  Since the incident, Martinez and her husband have split.

Currently, Martinez is charged with felony conspiracy, facing up to three years in prison.  She has not entered a plea and is scheduled to return to court on December 19, 2011.  The two key elements to prove conspiracy are showing that there was an agreement, and a blatant act in furtherance of the conspiracy.  It is likely that the prosecution will be able to show that Martinez had an agreement with her friend to store items at his or her place in order to fabricate a specific setting.  Additionally, the court is likely to find Martinez’s “beating herself up” as an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.

It will be interesting to see how the defense presents its case, and if there is anything else to this story.  Did Martinez have some other reason behind her actions which could serve as a valid defense?  Will she claim insanity?  Was there not an agreement between Martinez and her friend?   Was there truly an individual who broke into the home, or was there another party who had a hand in this?  This story will be an interesting one to follow in the coming weeks.

Perhaps there are many individuals like Martinez who feel that a lie or fabrication between couples will only stay between them.  What many people do not understand is that if a planned hoax goes far enough, it may bring criminal liability upon a person.

All in all, nothing beats effective communication.  Therefore, if you have something you want to get across to someone else, just say it.  Do not plan some sort of hoax.  Also, always consider the legal consequence behind your actions.  Surprisingly, most of our actions can have legal consequences.