Politics

Democratic Mayoral Candidate Sabrina Belcher Faked Her Own Kidnapping To Win Votes, Police Say

(Courtesy of Sumter Police Department)

Henry Rodgers Chief National Correspondent
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A Democratic candidate running for mayor in South Carolina was reportedly arrested for allegedly faking her own kidnapping to try to win votes.

Sabrina Belcher was arrested and charged with conspiracy and filing a false police report after police say she filmed herself being kidnapped, beaten up and robbed in a Facebook live video Tuesday, which she orchestrated, according to The State. Police say she did this to get “sympathy” ahead of the election.

After she claimed to have been kidnapped she told police that she was “assaulted and kidnapped by an unknown man during an attempted robbery.” Belcher also said the unknown man broke her car windows.

“They staged a kidnapping and beating in order to garner publicity, sympathy and votes in the November election,” police said. The man Belcher was referencing is reportedly named Christopher James Eaddy. Eaddy was also charged with conspiracy in the case, according to the Sumter Police Department. (RELATED: Republican Drops Out Of Race For Congressional Seat The Day After His Arrest)

“This was simply an effort to create disorder and discontent in our community for personal gain,” Police Chief Russell Roark said in a press release. “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 is in a race with five other candidates in Sumter, South Carolina, and has yet to drop out.