A WANNABE mayoral candidate staged her own kidnapping to win sympathy votes ahead of the election, cops have alleged. Sabrina Belcher – who ran for mayor of Sumter, South Carolina – staged a brutal beating and kidnapping to gain “publicity, sympathy and votes in the November election,” police said on Friday. The 29-year-old Belcher called […]
A WANNABE mayoral candidate staged her own kidnapping to win sympathy votes ahead of the election, cops have alleged.
Sabrina Belcher – who ran for mayor of Sumter, South Carolina – staged a brutal beating and kidnapping to gain “publicity, sympathy and votes in the November election,” police said on Friday.
The 29-year-old Belcher called police on Tuesday night claiming she was assaulted and abducted by a man who also attempted to rob her.
She allegedly provided a fake name of her attacker.
She told police she was injured and the man had broken her car windows during the attack.
Emergency services then took Belcher to the hospital where she was treated and released.
During their investigation, authorities found she was in contact with her supposed attacker, 34-year-old Christopher Eaddy, and the two had allegedly planned the attack days before.
Police say she carried out the stunt on Facebook Live, and admitted to faking the crime.
“This was simply an effort to create disorder and discontent in our community for personal gain,” said Sumpter Police Chief Russell Roark.
“As a result, a valuable number of resources, including personnel, man-hours of the police department as well as local medical professionals, were wasted based on false information.”
Belcher’s campaign poster, which includes the misspelled slogan of “Hold on change is comming,” shows she was hoping to become the first black woman mayor of Sumter.
Law enforcement also accused Belcher of attempting to smear a political opponent during the staged Facebook Live attack.
Police charged Belcher with conspiracy and filing a false police report of a felony.
Eaddy is also charged with conspiracy.
The two were arrested Wednesday and booked into Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center.
Belcher is held on a $10,000 bond, while Eaddy made his $5,000 bail.
