Police: East Meadow Woman Fabricated Abduction, Stole Money

An East Meadow woman was arrested Friday night after allegedly lying to police that she had been abducted and robbed outside of Home Depot in Hempstead.

According to Nassau County detectives, Carmina Cornejo, 32, was employed by Euro Concessions located outside of the Home Depot at 172 Fulton Ave. in Hempstead. Cornejo claimed that on Friday at 7:10 p.m., she finished work and was walking to her vehicle in the parking lot when she was approached by three unknown male black subjects in a four-door Honda with out-of-state registration plates.

The subjects then pulled her into the vehicle and drove westbound on Hempstead Turnpike while demanding her property, police said. After surrendering cash and her passport, she was dropped off in West Hempstead.

An investigation by Nassau County Third Squad detectives and Hempstead Police at Hempstead Police Department headquarters revealed Cornejo fabricated the robbery, police said.

It was determined Cornejo had secreted more than $1,000 in concession sales in her vehicles, police said. The proceeds were later recovered.

Cornejo is charged with grand larceny in the fourth degree, falsely reporting an incident in the third degree and providing a false written statement. She will be arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on Saturday.