Thursday, September 15, 2011

Cops say teen faked cancer & took donations

Cops say teen faked cancer & took donations
Cops say teen faked cancer & took donations. A teenager is charged with ‘theft by deception’ for allegedly collecting $17,000 in donations after telling people she was dying of leukemia.

Police say Ruth Angelica Gomez, 18, told classmates and friends that she only had six months to live.

Nine months later, police say there is no indication Gomez is sick.

Gomez collected donations through an organization called Achieve the Dream Foundation, which she created in May to help children with leukemia beat cancer.

Hundreds also responded to pleas Gomez made through motivational talks and fundraisers, police say.

In an interview in March with the El Paso Times, Gomez claimed she had been battling cancer since the age of 2, and that her time was nearly up.

“The doctors are telling me to prepare myself and to start planning for what’s about to come,” Gomez told the paper.

The case has been sent to the district attorney’s office for prosecution.

Gomez has not been arrested.

Source: www.ktla.com