Police: Beach Park woman crashed SUV, falsely claimed it was stolen

A Beach Park woman is facing a pair of felony charges alleging she falsely reported that her SUV had been stolen after she had crashed it into a creek, officials said.

Nancy Facundo, 21, told sheriff's deputies Oct. 23 that someone stole her 2002 Dodge Durango between 8 p.m. and 11:45 p.m., from her home on the 38200 block of North Sheridan Road, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

About 10 a.m. the next day, Waukegan police responded to the report of a crashed vehicle in a creek near North Jackson Street and Low Avenue, officials said. The SUV, which police determined to be Facundo's Dodge, had been involved in a hit-and-run crash, authorities said.

Evidence in the vehicle appeared to be staged, sheriff's police said, and Waukegan police became skeptical about it being stolen. Authorities said Facundo later admitted to Waukegan police that she had lost control and crashed the vehicle into the creek.

Facundo was arrested Friday on charges of false report of a vehicle theft and disorderly conduct for making a false police report, sheriff's police said. Her next court date is Nov. 23.